


Be Still My Beating Heart

by Muckefuck



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Human Trafficking, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, M/M, Military Backstory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, black market
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 05:41:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 45
Words: 110,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2180100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muckefuck/pseuds/Muckefuck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Judal stumbles upon the black market, having wandered into the mess quite by mistake. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a choice but to have to buy something in order to keep from being killed. He buys Aladdin, a child who got trafficked and taken to be sold as a sex slave. He’s been being fed aphrodisiacs for weeks, told what he would have to do or he would be beaten and dragged back. When Judal brings him home, he finds he’s going to have to rehabilitate the boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The screams were the worst part. The way they echoed through the poorly built house… the beatings, the screaming, the pleading; it was all too much to take in. The poor boy’s eyes drifted to the ceiling of his closet of a space. There were no windows, no true lights except that of the small crack beneath the door. He just remained there in that chasm of darkness and waited. 

He was always waiting there, alone in that little space. When he wasn’t in complete darkness, the people would come. Their violent training made him sick. It made him want to run. 

There was nowhere to run though. 

Was there even a life outside of this kind of life, he wondered sometimes. Was there anything in the world besides this darkness and turmoil? It didn’t seem like it. 

His hopes, dreams, they all rested towards one goal. To be free of this place. 

He would rather die than remain here. 

The door opened in that moment, making Aladdin look over towards the figure standing in the doorway. He was going to be sold tomorrow, the other told him as they upped the dosage in the IV attached to him. He would be given to someone and his true job would begin. 

He would be someone’s toy.

But even then, he would be able to be free. That was the only part he could focus on. 

“You will have to do just as I told you. Even if they are nervous at first, you will do just as you were instructed. If you don’t, they will hurt you horribly, boy.” His master knelt down next to him, holding his hand and shaking his head. “You have been so good… be sure to continue that. I don’t want to see you get beaten and brought back here for the others to want to try to use again.”

His master… Aladdin wasn’t sure what to think of him. One moment, he was being brought here by the man, the next he was protected. He was so kind when Aladdin followed his rules though. He couldn’t help but to nod to the man. 

He would do everything in his power to keep his master happy. He would do everything he could to make his new owner happy. 

Maybe he would escape this place forever. 

Maybe there was a sun in the world, as another trafficked boy had told him. 

~

“Judal, what a bonus, what a bonus!” Kouha came bouncing into the office, spinning around in front of his brother as Judal set up his office space and looked around the room. It was a bit different from the dusty roads and a machine gun in hand, but he didn’t mind that. 

“Hey, Kouha. The old hag isn’t with you today.”

“Yeah, Kougyoku is busy and we don’t want her around for the ceremonial outing with you.” Kouha smiled brightly as he slid into the seat across from Judal. “You know we always have a ceremony for executives.”

“What Kouha means is that if you have plans, you should cancel them.” Kouen looked over at him seriously. “We have a way of ensuring trust in our executives.”

“That seemed to work last time,” Judal muttered before setting his name plate onto the desk. “So what’s the ceremony all about? Dinner? Golfing? I’m not much of a golfer. I don’t even own clubs.”

“Nothing so mundane! Good god, that sounds like something Kougyoku would come up with for our outings.” Kouha smirked more. “No no, you’ll see what we mean. Trust me when I say it’s something that will really throw you onto your feet and drive you wild. We’ll know a lot more about your ability to handle situations and your other abilities after this.”

Were they going to kill someone? That didn’t sound bad at all. He could think of a few people that would deserve a bullet, his former drill sergeant for example.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Ah, bring a jacket.” Kouha smiled. “Some areas of where we are going get kind of chilly in the evening.”

Kouen was making waves as he hurried towards the door. He didn’t even say a word as he was rushing to get the car. Out the doors, into his fancy car, the man started the vehicle and honked impatiently. To be fair though, Kouha did stay with him as they walked into the parking area. They took in the shades wearing red head and Kouha began to laugh.

“En’s been excited all day,” Kouha told him, waving before the other was speeding out of view. “He has been needing some things so this is really convenient for him.”

“What are we even doing?” 

“You’ll see.” Kouha bounced over to the car and smacked at the handle. “Open this puppy up and let’s ride, man. We’re wasting time and the auctions only last so long.”

“We’re going to an action house?” How dull. Opening the door, Judal unlocked the car and started the ignition. With wherever this stupid place was, Kouha gave no specifics, just smirking as he rattled off directions. 

“take a turn here,”

“Kouha, we’re going in circles!”

“I know, don’t worry about it and just pay attention to the roads, newbie.” 

Judal took the turn hard, slamming Kouha against the car door. He laughed though, sitting a bit closer and clinging to the center console of the car.

“Wooo! Let’s do that again.”

“You’re explaining to your brother why you fell out of my car.”

“Ooh, is that a challenge, Brass?”

Judal glanced over to see the other staring at the brass medals hanging from his mirror and smirked. “It was better than being stuck going to school, collateral victim.”

“Ooooh, look, doggie thinks he is an individual.” Kouha moved over the console, running his hand down Judal’s chest. “Do you know any other tricks besides fetch? Did your master ever teach you how to bite with that bark of yours?”

“I know how to neuter,” Judal offered, watching Kouha pull away and pout. 

“Which way, Kouha.”

“Forward,” Kouha told him, not even looking at the roads. His hands trailed down Judal’s person as Judal sped through the intersection and towards wherever they were going. His hands skimmed up and down his chest, unbuttoning his shirt as they went. “Take a left here,” he told him, making Judal hit the brakes and turn with a screech. “And right up ahead.”

Another rough turn, but Judal was gripping the steering wheel with a vigor, glancing down to see the other playing with the button of his pants.

“And we need to turn left here and take the roundabout,” he swirled his finger over the button of his pants as the word roundabout escaped his lips. “Only halfway though.”

The other was a tease, one who should not be sitting in his passenger seat. 

Judal couldn’t reach down to grab him though, not when he needed to be paying attention to the road. He glared down at the other once to try to convey the message. The other must have been getting another transmission though, his head made a nosedive for his crotch. That mouth of his bit the fabric of his pants, unbuttoning them.

Judal hissed as they sped along the road.

“Left, Mister Brass Balls,” Kouha purred. 

He wasn’t going to be getting this while he was driving. Judal took that turn hard, slamming Kouha into his door. The other banged his head against the door, opening it and swinging with it for a minute before Judal reached out and yanked him back in. 

“You weren’t kidding,” Kouha breathed, eyeing the door with a whole new perspective. 

“Don’t fuck with me, civilian,” Judal purred. “How about you finish giving me these directions.”

“Take this road to the end and park.” The man sighed, pouting a bit as he leaned on the console and looked up at him.

“…you should wear a seatbelt, Kouha.”

“I have you to protect me, what need do I have for a seatbelt?”

The other was a pain, but Judal found himself smirking at his tenacity and balls. There was certainly something to be said for the other’s behavior. He wasn’t afraid to lay it out and do what he wanted. Even if he was leading him in circles and hoping to get him lost, Judal couldn’t help but appreciate him. The place they had gone to was an abandoned circus area. Abandoned only due to the fact that the ferris wheel was down and the lights were off. The tents were still around, a few buildings set up near the river next to the place. Some cars were parked, but they were very well from view, Kouen’s included.

The man was smoking on the side, his brother Koumei by his side, smoking with him. The two waved, earning a very eager Kouha bolting from Judal’s car to their side. Someone had made it so he couldn’t leave his car as easily. Judal fumbled with his shirt and pants a minute before locking his car and heading over to them.

“Did Kouha explain?”

“Not a word,” Judal replied. “He spent the whole trip giving me a blow job.”

“…You came fast.”

Kouha snorted, rolling his eyes with a grin as he pulled them along. “You both need to hurry up. I want to see the animals.”

“I would hate to break it to you, but I think the park is long past being open.” Judal felt himself dragged along with the other as they headed towards the gates and slipped through. Kouen left from there, him and Koumei sprinting towards an area nearby that would have probably housed snakes.

“Where are they going? This place-“

“Shhh, come on.” Kouha smiled as he led Judal along. The man continued to shush him as they headed down the trails. Shadows flickered from the tent doors, small sounds escaping here and there. 

His senses awakened immediately as he took in the scene. It was just like before. A quiet place, abandoned like any other. But he could see the light flicker off the barrels of guns, he could hear small whimpers. 

He had walked into a battle scene. His hand scratched at his back, itching next to his holster. This time…

This time he hadn’t walked into the area defenseless. 

“Don’t do that,” Kouha told him. “They’ll think your packing and shoot you.”

“Where are we?”

“We’re at the circus, isn’t that what you told me?” Kouha turned around and smiled. “You are going to buy something here. Not so much to keep forever, but to prove your loyalty to the Kou Corporation. We will see what you get and know how well you can handle yourself by seeing you handle whatever you purchase. Don’t do weak though, the last man bought a stolen piece of Monet and it was just… so boring.”

That was what had happened to get the corporation to turn him in? 

The official statements had said that the man had been smudging numbers, taking clients to uncivilized areas. He had been caught with his pants down and child pornography on his computer. The man had been asking for what had happened to him. No one had batted an eye, Kouen himself had dragged the man out by his legs, tossing him quite literally out of the building as Kouha had bounced around beside him, screaming at him for being incompetent and breaking policy. 

Judal had heard it from his office as he was reprimanding someone who had been facebooking with a family member. He had walked out to see Kouen and Kouha return, the two telling him as they passed that he was now an executive and he should start moving his things immediately after the janitors moved the former executive’s things.

The man had been set up. He had played with the Kou fire and he had gotten burned. 

Taking a look around, he could understand. The other had been scared, wanting to get out of this as quickly as possible. No doubt these people would find his home and steal back the painting if they hadn’t already. They would be watching whoever came until the day they died most likely. 

“…tell me where we are so I can make a decision.” He just needed this confirmed.

“You haven’t figured it out,” Kouha asked. The smile on his face was dark as he motioned around them. “Welcome to the black market, Judal.”


	2. Chapter 2

Judal could see the people now as he entered the first building. The lights were now faintly noticeable. They had dug out the inside of the places, creating buildings underground for their work. By day, they were merely an empty circus place, but by night…

People were crowding the inside of the place, talking to one another as they bartered and exchanged. The chatting, the fights, the colorful paintings and the screams from wild exotic animals; it was overwhelming. Judal looked around with mild interest in it all.

“Hey! You little brat! My slave is not yours to touch!” A vendor yelled for only a moment before a gunshot rang through the large trail leading to a large space for selling. It wasn’t just slightly dug up. It was an underground city. Judal’s eyes widened in shock at it all.

A fake sun was over it all, lighting the room. More animals and people were here. Some wore shackles, some people were in chains. Some animals were doing things that would be impossible for normal ones, walking slaves, standing on hind legs and accepting money.

“How-“

“Oh, those dogs were trained for years to do that,” Kouha told him, motioning around. “Pick something. Anything at all, Judal. Don’t pick an animal though. Trust me. When I first became an executive, I picked a snow leopard. It was so precious!” He shook his head, “I forgot to feed it one day though and it went out and killed six people before animal control found it. They’re still trying to find a way to find who owned it. I visit it at the zoo often. Precious Hakuryuu.”

“I would pick something, but I’m on the military pension. I don’t get that much, Kouha.”

“Nonsense. Whatever you want, you can just have me purchase.” Kouha leaned forward and smiled, “That is what friends are for, is it not?”

It wouldn’t be tied to him that way. Judal nodded, knowing that was the best way to proceed. The last thing he needed was his identity being stolen by someone here. He was glad he didn’t hold his wallet in his pocket like some people.

Another person was pick pocketing in front of them, slipping away into the crowd with a smirk in place. The whole place seemed to be content with this lifestyle. What was on one person was soon in another’s pocket. Nothing was sacred. He had half a mind to check himself for his own clothes.

A small gasp came from behind him as he felt a hand touch his gun. It happened without pause, Judal’s hand slipping the Glock from his back. He shot the person head-on, right between the eyes. They fell back without a pause, their eyes still moving to notice the thing when they fell.

Everyone around took two seconds to look before things were as they had been before. It must have been a common thing. A sweeper came along with a stretcher of bodies, picking up and carrying the body away with others.

“Damn, I didn’t know you still held.” Kouha laughed a bit, patting his arm. “You know, it’s illegal in California to have those things hidden away.”

“What California doesn’t know, won’t kill them.”

“Unless they touch it.”

“Like my balls, Kouha, you touch, you die.” Judal holstered his weapon again and looked around some more. “What am I supposed to get anyway?”

“Anything your little heart desires.”

“Anything that I want, huh?”

“Are you a fan of tobaccos? Fine wines? Riches from the Middle East? Do you want to pack heat like you did in the war on terror? There’s any and everything in this place. Own a genetically engineered dragon… it’s really just a lizard that has had surgery to have a flame thrower installed in its mouth. It dies after a week. Ends up setting fire to your curtains,” Kouha laughed. “I sometimes wonder what would happen if I had neighbors that lived really close.”

“Are you buying something tonight?”

“No, Kouen forbid me after the unicorn fiasco.”

He looked over at the other, taking in the smile and the eagerness. Like a devil leading him through into the depths of hell, Kouha took him by the hand in the name of goodness, his smile promising dreams that his surrounds could only crush.

Well, he was always one to indulge in taking risks.

Judal smirked back at him, leading him along towards some of the more interesting areas. Where the bullets were no less, that’s where Judal took him.

They walked through the exotic animals. The elephants making a large amount of noise, their feet shook the ground. The snakes slithered around their feet, making small children cry around them. Kouha’s eyes went to the large cats, his person shaking with need at the sight of the snow leopards.

“I want one so bad,” he murmured to Judal. “Hakuryuu always had a thing for the neighborhood dog Alibaba. I just want one that wants me. You know what I mean?”

“I haven’t a clue,” he replied, looking at one of the snakes. Maybe he could release it in lower LA later. It was too simple though. Kouha would see that he was following his lead. He would rather do something of more originality.

They wanted something new from him, something less mundane than just a simple catch and release. He needed something that would make them know he wasn’t one to be played with. Something that would just say that he was a force in himself; yes, he needed…

“Slaves! Young slaves here!”

Judal looked up at the man, seeing the overweight wimp calling everyone around. The man motioned towards his stage as a red haired woman was being bartered off.

“Oooh, the auctions are still going. We didn’t miss the humans.” Kouha looked up at the girl and shook his head. “She’s so muscular though. Look at those legs. She’s probably from a body building family. Too much maintenance.”

She was going for a high price though. The man who bought her seemed pleased with himself.

Judal looked as the next figure went up. Another red haired man, Judal shook his head. What was with these muscular types? The last thing he wanted was to find himself being beaten by some slave. It was out immediately.

“Come on,” he pulled Kouha along, looking at some of the hand guns nearby.

“We fit weapons into all shapes and designs here,” the merchant told them. “Pens, umbrellas, lamps, pendants: If you have a sister, we’ve got her protection.”

“I see where your sister got her hairpiece,” Judal told Kouha, earning a smile from the other.

“It’s a simple hairpiece. What are you talking about?”

“Yes, of course,” Judal replied, “I’m sure she just walks around wherever she pleases in the way she does without any protection because she is unarmed.”

“Absolutely, I trust her immensely to be able to protect herself.”

It was getting late according to the stolen watches in the next booth. It was one in the morning and he was still wandering. He could see Kouen and Koumei making their way over to them. Koumei’s arms were loaded with books and scrolls as Kouen walked in front of him, watching over the other like a hawk.

“Kouen’s got a thing for philosophy,” Kouha murmured. “He’s been taking stolen fragments of Solomon’s narrative and researching into the descendants of ancient kings. It’s been rather fascinating.” He smiled as he moved forward to meet his brothers.

“Has he decided what he’s going to buy?”

“We’ve been having some trouble, but he did dust a thief with his gun.”

Kouen looked over at him and frowned, “You pack?”

“You don’t,” Judal smirked as he moved around them. “I am just taking my time to decide over a few things. There’s absolutely everything here, as Kouha was so kind as to point out.”

The other laughed as he motioned towards a particularly decrepit area of the market. “If you go that way, I recommend you keep that gun in plain sight or put away. They see a weapon, they’ll shoot first.”

“I’ll keep that in mind while I shoot them first.” Judal had no choice but to go that way though. The other way was too crowded, with a fight now beginning to break out between a few clients who had been ripped off by a merchant.

He glanced into the alleyway and felt his hair stand on end a bit. There was something about this area that was rubbing him the wrong way. Something was definitely wrong with this area. Still, he forced himself to go that way. He pulled his glock out and looked around, noting the smaller figures hiding away behind the tables as they saw him. Kouha and the other two followed behind him as they made their way through the area, looking briefly at the wares set out.

Kouen motioned them to move along as he and Koumei saw an air tight container labeled about lesser keys or something like that.

Kouha smiled faintly before walking alongside Judal a bit further.

It was just too much quieter here. It was like the sound had left, like no one would speak in this area of the market unless they had to. No one bartered, no one spoke. It was point and purchase. Black and white, with no complaints; the guns pointed at customers from the top of every tent made it hard to argue.

Judal kept his hands on his gun, looking around at the wares with only half interest.

He was screwed in getting anything here. He should have gone for a dragon. At least the damn lizard would have died after a few days. He would just need to put out all the fires and bury it in his backyard. But no, that would be too easy.

He paused as he saw a medium sized tent, moving to go in as he heard small voices.

“Our next one is a rather shy thing. He will please any owner though, no matter man or woman. The boy is thirteen, has spent seven years preparing for an owner, and the best part is he is prepared to work starting as of this moment. We will start the bidding at ten thousand.”

Judal looked up at the pedestal, noting the lip stick wearing man immediately. The man was grinning as he pointed from one person to another, raising the price higher with every hand that went up. It was a child that was being bid on, the boy not wearing a bit of clothing on him as the others bid on his life. He could see the bruises that marred his body, the lashes that the boy must have received before this.

“Wild boy, look out there,” Kouha murmured as the bidding grew higher.

A kid who wanted to be free? It was mildly tempting. The brat could run away after a few days or if he stayed, he could just whip the kid into shape. It might be nice having someone to clean his dishes. Maybe he could have the boy learn how to cook since his food tended to be whatever fast food place was nearest to home.

There was only so much In-N-out that he could eat.

The boy looked out as the bidding began to slow, those eyes of his scanning through the people until Judal could see them. The boy’s face didn’t show fear, it didn’t show hope. It was…

He wasn’t sure, but he had seen that expression before. He knew it well. He raised his hand, raising the bid higher. When another hand raised, his went up once more.

The boy’s eyes went to him and he stared back, watching the other’s expression.

“Judal, are you sure about that?”

“Absolutely, get your wallet out,” Judal replied, not even looking away from the boy to talk to Kouha.

The man on stage smiled as he counted down. “Three… two… no one else wants the boy this much? Such a shame, you must be useless, little one… one… to the braided fellow in the back.” The figure bowed theatrically, “Thus concludes the auction for the night. Remember that purchases can be received from the side door. We don’t take credit or checks.”

“Twenty four thousand for a brat. Didn’t take you for a pedophile, Judal,” Kouha murmured as Judal turned to head out of the tent.

“You have the money?”

“Oh yes. I expected something different, but this should be interesting. Especially from this type of human auction.”


	3. Chapter 3

They met with Kouen and Koumei outside of the tent, Kouha waving them down from a nearby vendor. Judal’s gun went back into being held tight, his eyes on the surroundings as the three spoke to one another and Kouha pulled a briefcase into his hands from under Koumei’s clothing.

“Twenty four thousand isn’t much. I would have expected something more expensive.”

“Judal has simple taste, I suppose,” Kouha replied as he held the case against his chest. “I could ride back with him if you bought too much.”

“No, it’s fine. We still have room for you. Half of what we found were frauds. Hardly worth my time; we had the merchants taken care of.”

“That’s fascinating,” Judal replied, pulling the briefcase away from Kouha and pushing him towards the others. “Should we do anything else?”

“At around two in the morning? The only places open are coffee and strip clubs. Not really worth our time if you ask me.” Kouen looked over at Kouha and Koumei only to see the two nod. “Are you going to head home after this?”

“Yeah, that was in the plans.”

Kouen pulled a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them over at him. “We open the place up Monday morning at 6. Don’t be late.”

The keys jingled in his hands as he caught them, slipping into his pocket with a smooth motion. Judal held the briefcase of money and nodded to the others. “See you Monday then.”

“Now, now, don’t leave us so soon. Do you even know the way out?” Kouha motioned towards the exit, his eyes going to his brothers in expectance. “Let’s go. I’m sure Mei is ready to sleep.”

“I’ve been ready. I’ve spent half the week cleaning up after the last exec.”

“Poor Meimei. Don’t worry, Judal seems to be adjusting to his position well.”

“I hope so,” Koumei moved away, following Kouha as he held Kouen’s purchases. The third brother shook his head before following Judal’s lead. They headed down one path after another, Kouha talking quietly to Koumei as Kouen and Judal followed after them.

“I was wondering if perhaps a puma-“

“Have you tried maybe getting a cat? A regular cat, I mean. Something a little less able to kill your neighborhood. It’s bad enough when we had the leopard running through our backyard and killing the gardener. He was expensive.”

“Where’s the fun in an animal that will lay around all day and hunt nothing? No, I want something with a kick to it.”

“A dog. Dogs are obedient. You can have it chase the mailman.”

“Boring, boring,” Kouha shook his head. “Maybe I should have bought myself a nice slave as well. They’re cheap.”

“They’re messy and can expose you if they’re smart enough.”

“But they can be trained. I could have it do things around the house and-“

“Come up with a proposal and En and I will think about it.”

“Ah, but proposals take so long.” Kouha winced in annoyance, looking over at Judal. “If you train your slave and don’t want him, let me know. I want a good slave. Yours looked interesting.”

“I will see what I can do for you.” Certainly, handing the boy over would be a good plan in case he didn’t have the means to keep it there. Then again… it might be useful to keep the boy around in case the other three felt he would need to try this ‘trust’ exercise again.

He held the briefcase closer as they stopping in a two way passage. Kouha motioned left. “If you go that way, you will be at the side door. You can collect your prize and keep the other thousand as the start to keep your brat feed and all that. My brothers and I are going to head home.”

“See you all later then,” Judal told them as he turned away.

He moved away from them with a calm pace, grateful as much as he was wary of what was happening around himself. There was no pressure in being alone, no longer having to give a single care what the other three would do with him, but on the other hand…

Even now he wasn’t alone.

People passed around him, still trading and fighting. He scurried passed the first few booths, avoiding a conflict in the third booth. His eyes went to a gun being held up at the fourth. A lion roared from the fifth, catching the attention of a small child who was being stolen by a nearby merchant as his mother looked into buying a watch.

Humanity was scum. He never wanted to have to pick a side again. He was a gun salesperson. He didn’t have to pick sides or think about the greater good. He didn’t have to consider the bad that could come of what he did. There was just life.

He shoved a person out of his way that was slipping their hand up his back. The person was beaten as he fell against a cage of bugs. There was nothing but pigs around here. Nothing but pigs everywhere, making him feel sick. The exit was a nice thing to see.

The fresh air was a nice break, hitting him in the face as he opened the tent curtains and slipped out to find himself under the Ferris wheel. He could see figures standing in a line in front of the carrousel. The lipstick man was talking to a few people nearby as he beat a couple figures in line and handed them over to be given away.

He moved across the distance, seeing his own slave swaying a bit on his feet. Those eyes caught sight of him after he got within feet, those eyes looking over to him a moment before he was waking up. Those eyes were glued to him, mouth opening a moment before quickly closing. He bowed his head, glancing towards the slave owner before he remained once more impassive.

“Ah, sir!” The figure walked over, going to shake his hand before he noticed the gun. Instead of shaking, he smiled and itched at his arm. “The name is Fatima and you are?”

“A buyer, I have no time to waste with pleasantries.”

“Of course.” The other moved to hold up a paper, “If you will just sign-ah,” he stopped when Judal pressed the gun to the other’s head.

“How about I pay you and we don’t dabble in the frivolous things that will make it easy for those pesky NSA agents to track us.”

“Do you mean CIA?”

Judal clicked the safety off, frowning before the other nodded quickly.

“Alright, alright;” the other motioned to the line to move, heading over to the boy and unchaining his shackles from the line. “Would you like for me to-“

“No need to beat him. I am taking him as is.”

“Ah, I see.” The man smiled as he held the boy out and smiled at him. “The money?”

“Make yourself useful for a moment, slave.” Judal set the case on the boy’s hands, opening it and beginning to count the money out. “Twenty four thousand, easy money.”

“Easy money, but how did you stumble upon it?”

“I don’t believe I paid for an inquiry.”

“Of course, you must understand though, money that has been stolen and reported… it’s just a precaution-“

“I don’t believe I had time to steal from a bank in the time I have been away from your auction.”

“Beforehand though-“

Judal aimed behind the other and shot at the carrousel, making the slave owner jump. His eyes grew wide, his pants darkening as he shivered in front of Judal.

“Ah… so twenty four thousand… You may leave it with my slave in the front of the line and go.”

The man didn’t have the courage to take him on, how dull. Judal lowered his weapon and motioned for the boy to follow him. The boy looked up at him a moment before Judal slammed the case of money shut, pulling the boy along with him as he took the money he had divided and left it with the lead slave.

The boy had had bought remained firmly at his side, his hand on Judal’s belt loop. His eyes were behind them, watching the others.

The only reason this was aggravating was due to the fact that the boy was buck naked. His body was shaking uncontrollably as the others went out of view.

Judal looked down at him as the other looked around, as though expecting someone to come along and take him or hurt him. He pulled the boy to a stop for a minute before pulling the shackles a bit. “They couldn’t give me a key, could they?”

The boy stared at him a moment before looking at the chains.

“God, I hope you can do more than stand around naked.” The boy remained silent longer, making Judal sigh before pulling him along. “I can’t get any break. I should have stayed in fucking New York. I had everything there. Could eat and sleep all damn day, but no. I wanted to go into the military to play with guns, then I wanted to boss people around.”

The boy looked at the car worriedly as Judal pushed him towards the passenger side. He rushed back to Judal’s side before Judal groaned.

“Damn it. Get into the car and buckle- You know, you probably don’t even know how to speak. Come on,” Judal yanked him to the door, opening it and picking the boy up to set him down onto the seat. He clicked the buckle into place after setting his gun and the suitcase on the center console. He placed the case into the boy’s lap as he took his gun back into hand. “You are going to sit and wait while I check around the car.

The boy nodded, making Judal relax slightly. He shut the door and began to check around the car. Did he trust the Kou brothers? Sure, but he wouldn’t give a toothpick towards the others that had been in that place. His car looked fine. He opened his door and popped the hood, checking briefly before shutting it and popping the trunk.

Clear.

He climbed in and pulled his keys out, starting the engine and glancing over at the boy, seeing the boy watching him carefully.

“You know it’s rude to stare, brat?”

The boy turned his gaze towards the case, fidgeting around some as Judal groaned. They left quickly, not wanting to stick around any further. The silence bothered him though. Even as they got into the city, the child seemed to be more interested in staring at him.

“Do you know what music is?” Judal looked over at the boy as he got to an intersection, flicking the radio on. “I don’t know what’s on, but you might as well play around until something interests you.”

The boy left the station alone, sitting quietly as they drove through the city, taking many turns just in case and Judal stopping at a fastfood place. He looked over at Aladdin once more before smacking himself in the face.

“Shit… I don’t even have anything for-“

“Can we take your order?”

Judal turned towards the drive thru window, ordering for the two of them and then some before he turned to Aladdin. He looked around his car, grabbing a blanket from the back and wrapping it around Aladdin before taking the case and tossing it behind them.

“Alright, you need to keep covered. Don’t move around too much or your chains will make noise.”

The boy nodded before slipping the blanket around himself a bit more.

“Sir, you can-“

“I know! I know!” Judal glared at the voicebox as he put the car in gear. “How about you shut up and get the food around.”

He pulled up before the woman at the window smiled.

“Aww,” the woman cooed. “long trip?”

“Something like that.” Judal pulled the food into the car, setting it on the boy’s lap before taking the drinks and shoving them into his drink coasters. Pulling out his credit card, he handed the thing over to the woman and waited for her to run it through.

“Have a good night,” she told them before Judal drove off once more. He sighed before looking at the boy beside him.

“…you can eat while I drive.”

The boy remained still before Judal parked in a small parking lot nearby. He reached into the bag and shoved a few French fries into the boy’s face. The kid ate it, looking at him in shock before he glanced at the bags once more. Taking only a moment to look at the bags, Judal pulled one away and shoved another few fries into the boy’s mouth.

“Eat. It’s just fries. There’s a burger, fries, chicken, and this drink,” he motioned at the one closer to the boy,” is yours.”

The boy remained still, staring at the bags before he bit his lip. “…this… this is mine?”

“That’s yours, Chibi.” Judal flicked a french fry at the boy. “That’s all yours. He munched on his bird parts as the boy slowly began to reach into the bag, pulling out the container of fries and beginning to slowly eat. He let the boy eat, getting comfortable in his seat as the boy ate.

The sun slowly began to rise on the Saturday morning. The boy look over at him as he ate, looking around now and then before he looked at the car. Judal had to slow him down slightly, taking away the burger a moment to hold the drink up. The boy looked over at him a moment before he winced. His head leaned against the window as he started to cry.

“Hmm? What’s wrong, brat?”

The boy shook his head before Judal could smell it. His eyes widened a moment before he shook his head. “You… you did not just cum in my car… Ah shit.” Judal handed the boy his burger, handing him the drink as well before he started up the car once more. “Just try to hold it in if you can, Chibi. Get your damn seed on the blanket or something. I can at least wash that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well sorry doesn’t make the car stop smelling of sex.”

The boy looked down at himself and shook his head. Setting the burger back in the bag and setting the drink back in the cup holder, he pressed the blanket to his person. “I was supposed to take care of you, but you were busy and then you… I’ve never been given food like this before.”

“Yeah, well fast food joints don’t advertise their meals being so good that you orgasm.”

The boy shook his head. “It wasn’t the food.”

Judal shook his head, turning into his driveway and heading into the garage. The boy’s eyes went to the building as Judal parked inside, shutting the garage door behind them. His gaze went to the other as Judal munched on some food, grabbing his drink as he opened the door to his car and tossed the keys into a bowl by the car. He walked around, opening the passenger side and motioning with his head. “Come on, brat. Unless you plan to sleep in my damn car and stink it up with more cum, get your ass to the door and bring your food and drink with you.”

The boy climbed out, holding the blanket in his hands a moment before he looked up at Judal. His eyes looked a bit fearful as he opened his mouth, silently trying to think of what to say. Judal could see him trying to phrase how to tell him he couldn’t.

“…Just get over to the door over there. I’ll grab your shit.” Judal climbed into the car, shoving his drink awkwardly into the bag before he grabbed the boy’s things and did the same. He carried them both into the house, having the boy trail after him. The blanket was tight around his person as he opened and shut doors for Judal.

Judal shook his head, motioning towards the big door to their left. “That’s the front door. Don’t answer it. There’s no one that I want to talk to that will be on the other side of the door. I don’t have friends. I don’t have lovers. I don’t associate with anyone but my bosses, all three of them are insane though so it’s not really worth answering the door to them.”

The kid nodded, looking at the other doors around them.

“Closet,” Judal explained, opening the doors and motioning to the machines inside the closet. “I hooked my laundry machines in here too. We’ll wash your blanket and see what we can do about getting you cleaned up after we eat.”

He nodded again and Judal shook his head.

“Alright, come on. I better show you to the bathroom. We can eat in there. I don’t really see the point in eating in the kitchen since I use the table as a desk. The living room is a bit empty too. I don’t really do much besides sit at my table and work on gun blue prints or shoot cans in the backyard.”

The boy looked around the place as the phone rang.

“Shit… that better not be important.” Judal glanced at the boy once more before he set their food down on the coffee table. One glance to his phone told him that it was Kouha, who had called before assuming that the missed calls were all from him. Judal headed towards his own room. He grabbed some spare sweatpants and a shirt before heading into the room again, making the kid sit as he went to grab some pliers from the garage.

The pliers were where he had left them, but his eyes drifted to the bolt cutters. Those would be easier. Without a doubt, they would be able to tear through the metal. He brought both, returning to the boy looking around the place nervously.

“Sit,” he told him, watching the boy sit down immediately. “You’ll be easy to take care of, won’t you?” Judal knelt down, taking the chains into his hands and setting the bolt cutters in place. Yet the kid’s hands went to his, stopping him.

“No…”

“Hey, you’ll be stuck naked if I don’t do this. Shut up and let me do this.”

The boy shook his head, looking around before he glanced at Judal. “I have to go to your bedroom.”

“Like hell you do! Shut up and let me do this,” Judal snarled, breaking the chains around the boy’s feet and following quickly with his hands. He moved next to the individual cuffs, breaking them one by one, soon enough having to sit on the boy and pin him down to get the job done. The kid’s face said that he didn’t really get free of them… ever.

Tears streamed down his face as he curled up at the edge of the couch, huddling under the blanket and beginning to apologize.

“Stop that,” Judal pulled the blanket away and yanked the boy over, seeing him stare in shock before Judal held him close. “Stupid idiot. Not being bound is good. Don’t you even know what it means to be free? What the hell did you do before the damn market?”

“I’m not supposed to be unbound.”

“Yeah, well I bought you so what I say goes and I say that no one in my house gets to be bound unless I cuff them. Got it?”

The boy looked at him in worry, glancing around the room a moment before he reached for his food. He resumed eating once more as Judal handed him a remote from nearby.

“This is for the television there,” he motioned towards the television. “I want you to press these buttons,” he pointed at the channel scrolling buttons,” and find a show to watch. Something that interests you.”

Meanwhile he would make his phone call to Kouha and see what the pest wanted now.

The boy nodded and Judal pressed the power button, leaving the boy to eat as he went to his phone. Somehow, he had the feeling that this was going to be a pain in the ass.


	4. Chapter 4

The boy was left alone on the couch as his master went to answer the phone. He pressed the button, finding himself staring in surprise at all the things he could see on the screen before him. There were people laughing and smiling, animals barking and meowing. There was a monster attacking people on another channel, making him press the button in shock and terror. He looked back at his master, seeing the man run his hands through his hair.

Was it a man even? He couldn’t be sure with the way the man’s hair was. He didn’t have breasts though. Surely no woman was without those. He wouldn’t judge though.

He stopped as he saw a movie playing on one of the different channels. The drawn woman had hair like his masters! He moved closer to the screen, sitting on the floor in his blanket once more. His drink and food in hand, he watched as the woman looked over the fence, talking to her animal.

He knew how she felt. It was so hard to be trapped, stuck behind walls without a way to break free. It was so cruel of people to keep others trapped like that. His body was still burning too. Was she fed things like him? He found himself sliding forward more, watching the other figure come into the woman’s life. He looked over at his master, finding that he had disappeared into another room.

The boy’s hands went to his wrists, feeling the lightness in his hands. His legs felt lighter too. It was weird, being free like this. He couldn’t help but to feel happy though. He was sure that was what it was that he felt. He smiled as he saw the two characters singing. Yeah, he wanted to be like them. He wanted to run free in the world and not be held down by anyone again.

Without a pause, he climbed to his feet, wobbling off balance without the chains holding him back. He looked around, seeing the clothes that the other had left for him and walking haphazardly over to pick them up. His eyes went over the holes, attempting several times to put them on before he figured both it and the shirt out. He felt like he was wearing clothes far too big, but they were his master’s clothes and his master had given them to him.

He grinned as he looked around and danced around some.

Freedom was nice! Freedom was so amazing. He sipped his drink and ate some of the other food that his master had bought him. Everything tasted so good! The drink slid down his raw throat soothingly. The food filled his ravenous hunger.

This was amazing, perfect, spectacular, fantastic! Aladdin laughed a bit as he danced around, spinning around in the room as he looked at his new home. It was so big! There was more than just four walls and there was lights and blankets. There wasn’t a single IV or anything around to go into him. There was a room devoted just to food!

The cushions were so big he could have curled up on them and slept like one of the small fuzzy animals on the screen. He listened to the next song and smiled more as he watched the characters.

“Damn, Kouha. He never seems to leave me alone when I want him to.” His master returned to the room, looking over at him and the screen before he snorted. “You’re watching this?”

The boy was engrossed into the film though, curled up against a couch cushion as he watched the trouble start to happen.

Judal gave a sigh as he moved to sit down next to him, wrapping an arm around the child before the little one moved to hold onto him. Those blue eyes looked up at him, staring at him fearfully once more. “…do they…”

“He gets the girl and Jafar is defeated,” Judal told him, spoiling the entire movie for the boy. The child didn’t seem to mind at all, looking once more at the screen more happily.

“…so what’s your name, brat?”

“You can call me Aladdin,” the boy told him, not looking over at him as he watched the film.

“That’s not very funny, kid. What did your owners before call you?”

“They didn’t. I was called slave.” Still not paying him any attention other than to answer his questions, ‘Aladdin’ continued to stare at the screen. “I don’t think I like this. Are you sure they-“

“They’ll be fine. The girl’s not a complete moron.” Judal leaned back, watching the boy sit in anxiousness. His eyes were so glued to the screen. At this rate, it would be only a matter of leaving the television on while he went to work. He could probably buy a Disney collection of movies and just have the boy watch a different one every day.

You can always give your little slave to me if you don’t like him.

Kouha would probably be better at taking care of him. He might hand him over after a while, but not for a couple months. It would be better to have him here for now while the executive job was just starting. He would keep the Kou brothers entertained while he was in this position. If an opening with Sindrian industries opened, then he would consider moving over.

Life was easy, especially for him. It wasn’t like he had much to worry about when he had his own inheritance from the Al Thamen company that had been long bought out by Kou Corp.

“Master?” The boy looked up at him, making Judal shake out of his daze.

“My name’s not master, brat. It’s Judal.”

“Master Judal?”

Ignorant brat! “What is it, Aladdin?”

The boy smiled up at him as he said the name. He leaned up, kissing him briefly before he settled back onto his lap. “Thank you for buying me.”

His face turned red as Aladdin looked at the screen again, his hand slipping beneath the sweatpants. He froze. “Chibi, you better not be masturbating on my couch.”

“I’m really hot right now,” the other told him, making Judal haul him up by his shirt.

“Oh no. This is not happening on my couch!”

“Ah! Master p-please!” Aladdin squirmed for freedom, one hand still in his pants as Judal carried him towards the bathroom. The big room with the dining table and living room area broke into a small hallway nearby. When they headed that way, there was an immediate door in front of them that was a rather good sized bathroom.

It was there that the other took him, tossing him down onto a toilet seat before he let go. Aladdin tried to get up, but the other pushed him back onto the seat.

“Sit!” Judal told him, turning to the tub and beginning to prepare a bath.

“We won’t know how the movie ends!”

“I’ll take you to the freaking Disneyworld/land or whatever they call it around here if you stay put.”

“Disneyworld?”

“Yeah, it’s where all those little movies are celebrated and whatnot. I don’t really watch those things though. I’d rather not watch television.”

Aladdin went silent, sitting in place. He could go to where those movies were celebrated? Did they celebrate all movies? Was celebrating fun? He watched his master move to undress him and Aladdin grabbed his master’s pants, moving to pull them down when the other stopped him.

“…what do you think you are doing?”

“I need to please you. You have done far too much for me. It’s my job.”

“Are you paid?”

“No.”

“Then don’t do anything.” Judal pulled his pants back into place and shutting off the water after a minute. “Alright. You can climb into the tub and do all that dirty shit in there. We masturbate in the bathroom only, got it?”

“But we’re supposed to do it in the bedroom to-“

“Okay, brat. Listen up and listen good because I’m only going to say this once. I am not into pedophilia. I don’t have sex with small children. I don’t have sex in general. I am what is known as asexual. I don’t really get all that interested in other people. I would rather fight, but I was kicked from the military for being too aggressive and starting a border dispute in the Middle East. Therefore, you will take your masturbating and your orgasms and do them in here so that you can at least not get everything in the damn house smelling like sex.”

The boy went silent a moment before holding his face up.

“…What the hell are you doing now?”

“I am trained to take abuse too.”

“Oh my God,” Judal groaned at the sight of the boy preparing to be hit. “Take your naked ass and get in the tub. Jerk off until you’re spent and don’t you dare ask me to hit you again.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No-don’t-“ he stopped himself, trying to relax at the boy’s apology. “Just- Aladdin, you aren’t going to be doing what you were trained to do. You are here because you were picked by me. While that does make you special and better than most, that doesn’t mean that you are going to be getting hit or going to be giving me blowjobs. You are going to occasionally do a few chores and live with me until I figure out what the hell I’m going to do with you.”

“What are chores?”

Was this progress or was he imagining it? Judal picked the boy up, setting him down in the bathtub and dumping the rubber duck he had gotten in it. His eyes caught sight of some of the bubble bath nearby, pouring a little of that in before he turned the faucet back on. The tub filled more, bubbles forming around the boy to his great surprise.

“Master! What are these?” He moved to the furthest edge of the tub, his eyes wide in shock. His hands gripped the edge of the tub as Judal laughed at him.

“Master’s special weapons for cleaning little brats who start jerking off on my couch,” Judal replied, moving to pick up a handful of the bubbles. He moved to touch the boy’s face, watching him wince in terror before Judal covered the lower half of his face with the bubbles. The boy’s eyes opened, staring at him in shock.

“…they don’t hurt.”

“They’re bubbles, stupid. Bubbles don’t hurt anything.”

Aladdin reached out slowly, taking a few bubbles into hand as he wiped the others off his face. He looked down at them a moment before pressing his hand to Judal’s face, wiping the bubbles on him before Judal sighed.

“Master looks older with bubbles.”

“It’s Judal, Chibi.”

“Are you naming me that?”

“No, you said your name is Aladdin. Congrats, you are now Aladdin.”

The boy smiled to him before sinking into the water more, those hands disappearing as the boy watched him. He was starting to realize what that face meant. He shook his head and set the boy’s clothes on the toilet seat, grabbing a few towels from under the sink and setting them down nearby. “When you finish,” Judal told him, “you can dry off with these towels and then put those clothes back on.”

“Where are you going to go,” already he was shifting over to the edge of the tub where his master was, frowning as the other stood there preparing to move.

“I have some work to finish for Monday.”

“Oh…” Aladdin slid down, watching the other as he moved to leave. As the door closed, Aladdin looked at the bubbles, watching the water ripple as he moved this way and that. He was still hurting from need, but his master didn’t seem at all interested. He had even said he wasn’t. He couldn’t make the other unhappy though. He would get rid of him should he be bothersome.

He tried to take care of himself, staying in the water until it was long since cold. The bubbles slowly popped away until there was none left. Finally, when they were gone and he had finished himself up, he climbed out of the tub, drying himself and climbing back into the clothes he had been given. He continued to dry his hair as he walked out of the bathroom, looking around with interest at the area.

Master Judal hadn’t said what he was supposed to do after his taking care of himself. Looking around, Aladdin found the other sitting at the table in the big room, his head down on his work as he silently slept.

He must have been so tired. They had been up late.

Quietly, he moved over to the other’s side, trying to move the chair so he could maybe slide the other to the sofa or something. The chair wouldn’t budge though. He tried getting on the floor and pushing with his feet, but the chair was too heavy with Judal on it. In the end, he tapped the man on the shoulder, earning a grunt or two before those red eyes looked over at him.

He had really pretty red eyes. Aladdin had never seen anything like them in his entire life. He couldn’t help but to smile a bit as the other looked at him sleepily. “You should go get some sleep,” he murmured, hugging the other.

The man sat up though, letting out a yawn before he shook his head. “I’ll mess up my sleeping patterns by sleeping all day.” He stood up, heading to the kitchen and looking around a few cupboards. “I’m out of coffee… I should have gotten more- Damn, I forgot about that.”

“Can I help you somehow?” Aladdin moved to stand by the other, looking around for this coffee.

“Nah, it’s not something I have around here right now. I was supposed to get some, but I got caught up in things last night.” Judal ran a hand through his hair before Aladdin stood before him and smiled, waiting to be told what to do. The other just walked around him though, looking around some of the drawers as he scratched some notes onto a piece of paper.

“What are you doing?” Aladdin moved to look at the paper before Judal handed it and the pen to him.

“Write down things for me while I figure out what we need to get from the store.”

“O-okay.” Aladdin watched as the other opened and shut cabinets, rattling off food. “Peaches, melon, milk, eggs, bread.”

“Peaches, milk, bread,” Aladdin tried to write them all down, doing his best to write them down. He wasn’t quite sure entirely if he spelled them right, but he did his best.

“Peks?” Judal looked over his shoulder and sighed. “…you have no idea how to spell.”

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t taught that.” Aladdin bowed to the other, having the paper taken away before Judal began to write things down himself.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I probably should be impressed that you can write this well, despite everything you’ve been through. I will have to see about getting you some books and teaching you how to do this kind of thing.”

“I will do my best!” He felt bad for being unable to help. He moved to follow the other as Judal headed to the place where the car was.

“…What are you doing?”

“I’m going with you.”

The man looked at him a moment before he motioned the boy over. Aladdin could feel his happiness rise as he went to the man, standing proudly before him. This time whatever master Judal needed, he could do. As Judal knelt down, Aladdin awaited his orders.

“…You don’t get to call me master if I take you out with me.”

“Okay.”

“You don’t get to touch yourself under your pants either. No kissing my face or telling anyone that you are a slave or that I bought you. You will be quiet unless spoken to.”

“Got it!”

The other looked unconvinced, but the arm that went to his back said he had passed the test, being able to go with him to wherever he was going. He was given a pair of sandals to wear that were far too big, flapping loudly as he climbed into the man’s car and waited for him to get in. He pulled his buckle on and listened to the car start.

They were going to go shopping.


	5. Chapter 5

The world was filled with a spectrum of colors, the sun shining down onto the dashboard as they drove. Aladdin’s eyes were everywhere at once, taking it all in. There was so much! He couldn’t believe his eyes. His hands held onto his seatbelt, gasping a bit and holding his breath at it all.

Wow, what a world this was!

People walked down the streets, walking animals in some people’s cases. Some kids were playing out in their driveways. He could see a bird flying ahead of them in the sky. It’s wings were stretched, catching the wind as it flew. What a wondrous world it was!

Aladdin jumped when he saw his window rolling down. When he looked over at Judal, he could see the smirk on the other’s face, however small it was. He smiled back, looking quickly enough out the window only to feel the cool air on his face. He smiled at the world outside the window, enjoying the wind hitting him.

“This is amazing!”

“It’s just the suburbs.” Judal told him. The other seemed happy though. His frown was gone now, a small smirk playing on his lips more notably as he turned on the music again in the car. Aladdin looked over at the buttons and moved to play with the radio.

There were a lot of static channels. Why so many people must enjoy such things, he would never understand. Still he found a station that was playing something really exciting, making him smile as the woman sang. Between the music and the surroundings, Aladdin found himself in paradise. There wasn’t a thing that he would rather have, although master Judal seemed to have something in mind, he turned, heading up to a rather large building, parking the car and raising a brow at him. The window started to move to close and Aladdin fell away from it, widening in surprise before he heard the other laughing at him.

With the window up, the car turned off, Judal climbing out before he opened Aladdin’s door. “Come on, brat. I’m not going to take you out without you being able to wear something besides my old gym clothes.”

“I don’t mind-“

“I don’t need you jerking off in my clothes, Chibi.” Master Judal looked over at him warningly before he led him into the building, looking around for a few minutes through an assortment of clothes as Aladdin looked around carefully. He tugged at Judal’s shirt.

“I won’t do that in your clothes, but let’s go.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t wanna be here.”

“Well that sucks, doesn’t it.” The other pulled him along by his hair, picking out an assortment of clothes and climbing into a fitting room with him. “You’re going to dress like a person because you are just another person. Now try these on.”

“I don’t like them.”

His master frowned, “Well what do you like then.”

“I like mas- I mean, I like your clothes.” Aladdin flinched in preparation for being hit. He had disobeyed by almost saying master. His master was going to punish him for that.

The other didn’t move for a moment. Aladdin felt a hand rest on his head before the other was slowly pulling the shirt off him. Here it would start. He had been told about the punishments he would get for making his master cross. Lashings, punches, yelling-

His master set the clothes down as Aladdin began to shake on his feet. He pulled a shirt into his hands and spoke quietly. “Raise your hands up above your head.”

Aladdin obeyed without pause, waiting for what was to come. He felt a shirt pulled over his head, his arms slipping through the short sleeves to rest on his person. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to feel the first hit.

A hand ruffled through his hair a moment before he felt the other move away.

“Okay, so you’re a medium fit. Let’s see what we can do about pants.”

Aladdin opened his eyes in shock, looking to see the other looking through some pants he had brought. “What?”

Master Judal looked over at him and motioned to the plain shirt. “You’re a size medium.”

“You aren’t going to punish me?”

“Do you want to be punished?”

“No, but I almost completely disobeyed your rule.”

“You did, didn’t you?” The other grabbed his nose, wiggling it for a moment in a way that made him unable to breathe through it. “Don’t be calling me master, Chibi. I’m not your master. I’m your legal guardian, got it?”

“Legal guardian?”

“Yep, that’s our story. You can feel free to tell whoever asks that too.”

He was allowed to speak for himself? Aladdin stared at the man in shock. What kind of master was he anyway? He didn’t want him coming onto him. He was giving him his own clothes from the looks of things, he didn’t punish, and he letting him talk to others. That wasn’t something that he was supposed to be able to do. He was supposed to be trapped somewhere and pleasure his master whenever the other felt the slightest inkling of interest.

His stomach started to twist as he tried to sort through the confusing thoughts. Once more he was feeling too warm. He tried to keep himself in check as the other held pants to him.

“I think I need to take a bath,” Aladdin told him, making the other stare up at him.

“…Are you kidding me?”

“I really need to take a bath,” he replied, feeling the usual need running through him.

“Well, I would hate to break it to you, but there isn’t a bathtub anywhere nearby.” Judal crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re going to have to hold it.” Aladdin reached down before the other caught his hands. “I don’t mean hold like that. Don’t you dare do that in here.”

His body moved forward on its own, resting against his master, he shut his eyes, trying to hold it like his master had meant. His body was just feeling more and more heated by the minute. “…I don’t know if I can… It hurts.”

Judal leaned down, grabbing his shoulders and staring straight into his face seriously. “dead bodies, blood, violence, being caught naked in public, crying, no family-“

“What are you doing?”

“Shut up and think about those things.”

Aladdin shook his head, “I don’t want to, they’re sad.”

“That’s the point.”

What did he mean? Aladdin shook his head again, doing as he was told and thinking about those things. They were horrible things. Why would his master have him think about these things?

Yet his master was moving to kneel before him, tugging his pants down only to shove a pair he had gotten from outside the room onto him. He buttoned them up and nodded. “These are a little big, but you’ll grow into them.”

“Why can’t I wear your-“

“You’re not going to run around wearing my clothes.” Judal stood up once more turning away from him. The clothes he had picked out were comfy enough, but they were not his clothes. He couldn’t do what he was supposed to in these clothes. These were very confining. They were not meant for what he had in mind. Judal looked over at him and smirked, “Besides, I can’t take you to freaking Disneyland California with you dressed in my gym gear.”

Aladdin smiled at him, thinking back to that movie. “Can we watch the rest of that show? I didn’t get to see what would happen in the end.”

“I think I have a copy of the movie lying around in a box somewhere,” Judal replied, handing the gym clothes back to him. “You’ll have to put these back on for me to buy your clothes, but you don’t need to try anything else on. We’ll just buy whatever else fits you.”

Nodding, Aladdin felt a sense of relief go through him. This would let him get to do more things with the other. In that case, he could get used to these things. If he went to the little lengths that his master asked, it would make him more manageable in other regards.

He turned away, slowly pulling the shirt up. He tossed it over at the bench beside them before his hands went to the button of the pants, slowly undoing them before the other noticed what he was doing.

The other’s face was in disbelief once more before he shook his head. “I can leave if you want to do that.”

“There’s no point in me doing this without you,” Aladdin replied, staring at him in shock.

“Fuck my life,” Judal murmured before he knelt down before Aladdin and yanked the pants off. He shoved the sweatpants onto him, tying them tighter than before and shoving the shirt over his head. “You need to stop doing that. I’m not going for it. Give up and take what I give you.”

That wasn’t what he was supposed to do though. Aladdin grabbed his shoulders as the other went to move away, holding him close before he pressed his lips to the man’s. He would just have to show him. This was what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to bring the other pleasures with his person. Otherwise he would be taken back.

His lips melded against Judal’s, his tongue slipping into the other’s mouth to try to coax him into doing this with him. He began to tug on his master’s lower lip. He tasted good, better than he had expected his master to taste. His body was strong and firm in his grip too, making things easy.

He squeaked when he felt the other bite his tongue, yanking him back and slamming him down on the bench.

“You bit me,” Aladdin complained.

Judal ignored him, holding his hand over his face. He looked mad. He looked furious at him. “…Chibi… don’t do that again.”

“But-“

“Don’t. Do. That. Again.” He picked up the clothes from nearby and glared over at him. “Are you coming?”

“Yes,” Aladdin replied, getting up and walking in a sulking manner alongside his master. Had he done something wrong in his execution of the kiss? He had tried his best. More of those clothes that fit him were picked out, the other buying him lots of miscellaneous things before they went through a line to buy it all. His master was spending a lot of money on things that he really didn’t need.

They headed out to the car afterwards, climbing in and Aladdin having to change onto a set of those clothes in the backseat while the other waited for him. He had to put on a pair of sandals that fit his feet too. He returned to the front passenger seat in those clothes, having the other take the tags of them and toss them into a cup holder before they were off again.

This time, Aladdin didn’t look out at the sunny world outside. As tempting as it was, especially when his master rolled the window down for him again; he didn’t want to look at it all. Anxiety overwhelmed him. There was too much at risk if he didn’t please his master. The man from before had told him well what he was supposed to do. The other would get bored of him if he didn’t. He would be taken back and-

He felt a hand reach over the center console and take his into their own. Judal’s hand squeezed his a couple times before he looked over at him. “What did you do before being a slave, brat?”

“Before?” He could hardly remember anything; certainly there wasn’t anything worth remembering. “I don’t remember anything. I am a slave.”

“Call yourself a slave again and I’ll consider beating you up.” Judal glared at the road, making Aladdin shudder.

“I don’t remember anything though.”

“Did you have other masters,” Judal asked.

“Yeah, but they got mad at me.” Aladdin played with the other’s hand as they headed to turn into some other big building. “I didn’t want to do something with them and they got mad.”

“oh yeah?” Judal glanced over at him before he turned to park. “What was so awful that you wouldn’t do it?”

“I didn’t want to have sex with them.”


	6. Chapter 6

Aladdin was looking over at him as he parked, Judal slamming on the breaks a bit harder than he had first intended. His eyes went over to the boy caressing his hand like a freaking priceless gem. Those eyes that watched him like he was a favorite television show; those lips that had been smothering his own like he was a plate of steak and he was ravenous.

“You didn’t want to have sex with them so you were returned?”

“I wasn’t returned. I was given to another slave trader.”

That would explain his tenacity. Judal couldn’t help but to feel slightly relieved as he got out and walked around the car to pull Aladdin out. There wouldn’t be any real worry for too much to happen in this case. The boy walked beside him, holding his hand all the way up to the building and looking around in awe at all the food inside the grocery store.

“Mast- Judal, there’s so much food.” The boy’s eyes drifted over the aisles of food, in awe of everything.

“That’s why we have the list,” Judal told him, but he was already shoving the list back in his pocket, grabbing a cart and picking the boy up. Setting him in the cart, he headed along the aisles, letting Aladdin enjoy the ride as he began to pile things onto him.

“Oh! Peaches! We needed those!” Aladdin pointed towards them, at least able to read the very obvious sign. He could read, that was a good sign. Judal pushed the cart over and grabbed a good collection of peaches, setting them on the boy before they moved on. One row after another, they pushed things into the cart, Aladdin climbing out as their cart filled more. He looked at the ice cream row with great interest, getting them two tubs of the delicious desert before Judal shoved more things in.

“What else do we need? Can I go run and get anything?”

“We need milk. Go get it. It’s in those fridge areas over there. Get the one with the furthest away expiration date.”

“Ah… okay.” Aladdin took off running, opening the fridge only to make a loud squeak. Judal watched, snickering as the boy looked at all the gallons of milk, pulling one out and hurrying back to set it in the cart. “Is this okay?”

“Looks alright to me,” Judal told him.

The boy’s smile made him turn the cart into the next aisle. He climbed onto the cart in front of him, being in between his arms as he held onto the cart with his hands and feet and rode there. “Can I come with you to the store all the time?”

“I don’t see why not.”

The boy was bouncing on his feet in happiness, making the cart shake a bit as that smiling face looked around more. They went passed some of the other aisles as Judal tried to think of what else kids needed. He had clothes for the brat. What else did he…

Judal slowed the cart as they started to pass a book aisle. He looked down at the boy before moving into the aisle. “Chibi… go pick out a few books.”

The boy paused, “some of these? Why?”

“You’re going to read them.”

“Ah, do I need to?” Aladdin looked over at him. “We could just do something-“

“Actually, I think I know a good one.” Judal pulled one off the shelf, shoving the book The Little Prince into the cart. He pulled motioned to one of the sales people for the area over to grab one of the electronic book readers from the container of electronics. At least that way he could download a few educational apps onto the thing and get the boy started on being able to write better. He was lucky the boy could read, although he still wasn’t sure how well that was.

Aladdin looked at him, those eyes hesitant as he took in what the other was doing. “Couldn’t we just get some movies?”

“Books are better than movies, ask anyone.” Judal smiled at him sadistically. “You’re going to be reading me a bedtime story tonight, Aladdin. I’m looking forward to it too.”

That smile turned into a distraught look, Aladdin’s hands holding onto the cart fearfully. “Ah! We can’t! I can do other things if you want! Don’t make me read to you though!”

“Oh no.” Judal held up the book he had thrown in the cart and tapped the cover. “This is one of my favorite stories. You will have to read me every single page.”

“All of it?!” Those blue eyes were the size of dinner plates at the very idea.

“From cover to back,” Judal confirmed, setting the book back down. The salesperson was snickering as he set the electronic device into the cart and let them head to the front. Judal snagged a pair of sunglasses for the boy as well as they headed to the checkout area. He found himself pulling the boy to a stop near the clothes at the front and grabbing him a pair of swim shorts.

“You got me clothes,” Aladdin told him.

“Not for swimming in.”

The boy’s anxious expression increased as they made it to the checkout area. As the various items were being swiped, Judal watched his little slave hold onto the cart. His eyes were on the book in particular. He scurried to Judal’s side as someone went into the aisle behind them, waiting for their turn to be rung up.

“Cute,” the cashier cooed quietly as she watched him as well, ringing up the last thing before Judal swiped his debit card.

“He’s been like this all day,” Judal informed her, signing for the food before he nudged the kid. “Move things back into the cart.”

“Should I take them out of the bags?”

“Nope.”

Aladdin began to start to move things over, being helped by Judal after he got the receipt. He could move things faster than the other, despite Aladdin’s trying to go faster. The boy moved to push the cart, walking ahead of him towards the exit. Judal looked over the list, noting that he was spending far more than he normally would. At least this way he wouldn’t be out of anything for a while.

“You know, I could sing if you want me to instead,” Aladdin offered. “I was taught how to sing.”

“I’m not much of a music listener,” Judal told him as they approached the car and Judal clicked to open the trunk with his keys. “You’re going to read to me.”

“Can I not?”

“Are you unable to?”

Aladdin looked away, not replying.

“You were able to read the peaches sign.”

“I just knew what they looked like.”

“Well then you are going to just have to learn how to read then, aren’t you?” Judal began to move things into the trunk of the car.

“I know how to read! …some anyway,” Aladdin pouted a bit as he moved things into the trunk as well. “I never really had a need for it before.”

“Now you do. You’re going to be expected to read and write so get used to the idea.”

The boy shook his head. “I am staying with you though. Why would I need to read or write when I have you?”

“Because I don’t need to read every little thing your heart desires. Learn how to take care of yourself, brat. I won’t be around forever.”

The kid moved forward, wrapping his arms around him and hugging him close. “Don’t leave, master.”

“Chibi, what did I tell you not to call me?”

He wasn’t listening though, instead holding onto him for dear life.

“…Aladdin, let go.”

Those arms held onto him tighter, making him look around to see if anyone was watching. A few people were giggling at them. He shook his head and finished loading up the car before he glanced at the boy. He wasn’t going to let go until he said something to negate the previous statement. He pulled away enough to shut the trunk and went to push the cart into the rack.

Aladdin held onto him the entire way there and the entire way back, refusing to let go even as he went to the boy’s side of the car and literally started to try to shove him into the car.

“Work with me Chibi.”

“I don’t want to let go.”

“You have to.”

“No, I don’t want you to leave.”

“I am driving us home! Let me go before our damn ice cream melts and the pizza thaws.”

Those eyes went to look up at him. “You won’t leave me?”

“I don’t plan on doing so any time soon.”

“…” The arms slowly slid down, coming to rest at his sides before he allowed himself to be buckled into his seat. With the kid strapped in, Judal was finally able to run around the car and climb back into his seat, starting the car once more and feeling the boy hold onto his arm.

“I need that to drive with.”

The arms withdrew, resting on the kid’s lap as Judal turned around to see where he was backing up. They headed out of the parking lot and back onto the roads before Judal tried once more to get the kid to talk. The silence was bothering him and the radio didn’t seem to be doing a damn thing to make things less awkward.

“Why act like you want sex with me if you don’t want to do that?”

“Hmm?”

Judal glanced over at the boy’s surprised expression. “Kissing people’s lips like you did earlier and jerking off around them is a sign of wanting sex with someone. Why would you do that if you don’t want sex?”

“I’m supposed to do that with you though, otherwise I will be taken back.”

“Chibi, I just bought you a bunch of things. Why would I take you back if I got all these things for you?” The very thought was pathetic. Yet the boy shook his head, picking at his nails a bit as he sat there. “Others bought things for me before. I was always returned then.”

Judal stopped at a light, glaring over at the boy a moment before he leaned over to the boy’s side of the car, acting on impulse. His lips pressed against the boy’s cheek, causing the kid’s face to begin to turn pink as he kissed him.

“There,” he stated, returning to his original position as he waited for the light to change. “That’s a sign I won’t take you back. Are you happy now?”

The boy was silent, making him glance over to see the small genuine smile on the other’s visage. His hand was on his cheek as he stared into space. Those eyes of his were glinting with tears. To say he was looking happy was an understatement.

He drove them home in good time, remaining silent the rest of the way there. Enough of the business anyway, he was damn tired and it was only one in the afternoon. It was still far too early to be calling it a day and heading to bed. Telling that to his body though was hard, especially when they were in the dim garage. Throwing the car into park, he glanced over to see that Aladdin had curled up more in his seat, smiling as he looked out at the garage around them.

Then when he climbed out, he found the boy was waiting for him to come around and open the door for him. The child had gotten used to the treatment already. Judal didn’t open the door though, instead opening the trunk can telling the boy to come help him with groceries.

“I don’t know how to open the door!”

“The handle, brat! Try the handle,” Judal replied, watching the boy fumble about for a moment before he headed into the house.

“Judal! Master!” Aladdin knocked on the windows, calling out to him in fear as Judal began carrying things into the house. He laughed a bit as he set things in the kitchen, coming back to see Aladdin climbing through the entire car to get out. The boy leaped out, running to him and hugging him tight. “The handle didn’t work.”

“It didn’t?”

“No, it wasn’t working at all.”

Judal led the boy over and opened the door, pointing. “This is the handle.” He motioned to what Aladdin had been pulling. “This is the lock. If this is up, then when you pull the handle, it will open. If it is down, then when you pull the handle, it won’t open. Now climb back in and do it again.”

Aladdin was hesitant, but he listened, Judal shutting the door once more to see Aladdin open it. The boy climbed out quietly and began to carry things in. His face set in a sulking expression as he took as much as he could carry. When they had it all in, Judal set the boy up with carrying the clothes he had gotten for the kid into the guest bedroom.

Meanwhile, he was setting food into the cupboards, making himself a cup of coffee as he did so. He poured a glass of juice for the boy, setting it on the counter while he set things in their proper place in the kitchen.

Yet he didn’t return that fast… or at all.

Judal went to the guest room, seeing things set down on the desk in the room. The boy wasn’t in there though.

He moved to the bathroom, half expecting to find the boy sitting in the tub, but the room was vacant. Onwards again to the closet, he found nothing. Only when he went into his own room did he find Aladdin. The boy was lying on his bed, looking up at his ceiling fan as he held one of the pillows against his chest. His pants were on the floor, leaving him in just a pair of underwear and his shirt.

“Hey, Chibi.”

“Am I a bad person,” the boy asked, looking over at him sadly.

“Hmm?”

“I can’t really read and I can’t write that well either. I don’t know how to open doors until you show me and I don’t really want sex even if I do things that make it seem otherwise. I am not that good at much, am I?”

Judal leaned against the doorframe as he took in the boy’s words. “what did you do when you were with the pimps and slave owners?”

“Nothing. I just lay there and watched the tubes empty into me before the slave trader would come and tell me what to do while I felt strange.” The boy held the pillow closer, shutting his eyes. “I don’t want to go back, but I don’t think I can do what you are asking me to.”

“What happened to what I said in the car?” Judal itched his head a bit as he walked across the room, hoisting the brat up. “You are bad at paying attention. I said, and I quote, ‘I am not planning to leave you’. I don’t hang out with slave traders either so you need to get your act together and realize that you are going to have to just do some work for a change and learn. Don’t be a wimp about it. Crying won’t help anything.”

The boy hugged his pillow. “I can’t re-“

“Then learn. Fuck, if I cried this much about what I couldn’t do before learning it, I would be sitting in one of the cubicles that the lowest workers in the building work in.”

“I’m not crying.”

“Whining then,” Judal pulled him along to the living room, handing him the glass of juice and grabbing the book from the counter as well. He pulled the boy by his braid all the way back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them and releasing him once more. “Put your glass on the nightstand and climb into bed, Chibi. We’re going to start reading.”

Aladdin went as ordered too, following each command with a moment spent to fluff the pillows up and pat for him to join. Judal climbed in beside him and let the boy curl up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around him.

“Do you know what sounds letters make?”

“Yes, I know that.” Aladdin shook his head, “I am not that stupid.”

“Better not be,” Judal muttered before he held the book open to the first page. “Sound the words out and get started.”

And so he began to read, following Judal’s finger and slowly telling the tale of the pilot in the desert and his encounter with the enigmatic and wondrous little prince. His eyes slowly began to regain that eager, fascinated look to them as he slid slowly into a relaxed manner. That smile of his returned as they went from one page to the next, sometimes taking a moment to laugh or to look up at him in surprise at something happening. Judal couldn’t help but to take over from time to time, mimicking the voices to see Aladdin stare at him in shock. He would start soon to follow suit, giving each character their own voice.

Still, when they started to get a good way through the story, Judal remembered why he had put this book away with the others he had donated. The bittersweet ending, one of which struck far too close to home in their case; it was coming and he could see by the look on Aladdin’s face that he was sensing it. And as it came, which it had no choice to do, Judal held the boy a little closer, his head resting against him just a little more as he took over reading.

Through the ending, Judal read, letting the young boy listen in his arms.

“So he got to see his flower?”

“Yes, but at a terrible price.” Judal shut the book, noting that it was already close to evening and he was far too tired to get up to change or anything.

“He returned back though, even after meeting the pilot.”

“Yeah, but he was a fool to go back to someone that didn’t care about him when there was someone that cared.” Judal shook his head. “I forgot that ending. It really is horrible.”

“yeah… I wish it had ended better.” Aladdin yawned as he curled up closer to Judal.

“How would you end it, Chibi?”

The boy smiled up at him, moving deeper under the sheets as they laid down to sleep. “The prince could go back with the pilot and tell all the grownups to realize that the boa was a boa and not a hat. Then they could live together and never have to worry again.”

“You would have him leave the flower?”

“She has four thorns and a glass globe. She’ll be okay.”

All Judal could do was snort at that response, pulling the blankets over them just a bit more before he let himself start to rest. “Maybe you can draw me a few pictures tomorrow.”

“Okay, Jugemu…”

For the first time in years, Judal slept soundly, holding his own little prince in his arms.


	7. Chapter 7

With golden rays blending as they shone through the window and the reflection of water from outside reflecting from the outside, Aladdin awakened to find his eyes looking over his new world. For the first time, the first in an eternity, he was awakening to something other than the darkness.

He couldn’t help but to curl up closer to the other man, watching him sleep. Judal was a very handsome master, just one of the many pluses to his new life. He was cruel but very smart. If anything, he felt very privileged to be able to live with such a person. He was very rough around the edges though. He never was fully nice unless he was upset.

Still, he was a nice person overall.

The remainder of his nightmares were still haunting him slightly as he rested against his master. The haunting words of his former masters and of the people that had hurt him before were ringing in his ears, making him want to forget. The closer he got to master Judal and the more he tried to think of something else, the more the words seemed to stick in his head.

Useless.

Pathetic.

Alone.

Unloved.

He held onto his master tighter as the words echoed in his head. Frowning as he tried to make them go away, he tried to think of all the good things about his new world. His master was going to teach him all sorts of things. His master was very attractive and young. The man didn’t want to make him do anything vulgar or disgusting. All that he wanted was to have him be happy from the looks of things.

Aladdin’s gaze went to the book on the nightstand. As he pulled it over, he opened it up and looked through the pages. It felt like he could relate very well to the little prince in the story. He had been unwanted from his home when he was little and he had foolishly wandered away to meet all sorts of people that were in no way good or kind people. Yet he had found his own friend, he had found his master and his master had him.

There could be no one better in the world than his master.

Could master draw, he wondered to himself silently as he looked at the pictures in the storybook. Could he draw sheep and roses and worlds far beyond his imagination? Did he see a hat when he looked at a picture or did he see a boa digesting an elephant?

The other was still sleeping after Aladdin sat up and read through their book again. When he was done with that, he moved to get up, slowly climbing from the bed and taking his glass of juice to the kitchen where he set it on the counter. His gaze went around the main room for a moment before he began to wander. A pretty view out the front windows showed the driveway and road. The front yard having lots of flowers and grass. He could see someone mowing the front as they came out of the back area.

What was in the backyard, he wondered to himself as he scampered over to have a look. What he saw made his eyes glint in excitement. There was a large pool, with glimmering water that danced in the sunlight and a couple floating things on top. He could see a couple chairs and before him was a small bunny. The bunny was what really caught his attention, making him look around a minute before he tried to open the door.

His eyes fell to the lock. Up was open, down was closed.

He pulled the door open slowly moving to slide out the small opening he made with the door. His hand reached out, trying to touch the bunny when it looked at him. It was running in an instant, heading as far away as it could. Aladdin watched it run away and sighed.

Maybe it was best if he just stayed inside.

Aladdin looked back towards the building, looking at it a moment before he looked around the backyard. There was a fence, a nice high one that went around the border of the area. Barb wire was over it, keeping people from jumping over. It felt safer that way. He smiled as he felt the sunlight shining and he felt the wind blow in his direction. It even smelled nice outside. It smelled like nothing he could describe. He moved slowly, walking across the yard, feeling the grass tickle his feet and the sun warm him. He looked around the area, listening to the sounds of the birds before he looked into the pool.

The water was so clear and blue. He couldn’t help but to sit down and stick his hand into the pool water. Warm water met his touch, making him smile a bit as he dipped his feet into the water next. It was like a big bathtub.

He looked back, trying to see if the other was there, but he was no doubt asleep. What was he supposed to do right now? He wasn’t sure what Judal would like from him.

A thought came to mind quickly enough as his stomach started to growl. Food: an excellent thing to have. Judal would no doubt appreciate having something to eat immediately after waking up.

Aladdin pulled his feet out of the water, hurrying back to the door and slipping back inside, closing the door behind himself and locking it once more. He rushed into the kitchen, looking around for food to eat. What would he like to eat for breakfast?

Perhaps… hmm…

Peaches sounded like they were a breakfast thing. Aladdin grabbed a couple of those and looked around. The coffee didn’t look drinkable in the big red container. He was sure there had to be some way to make it and he wasn’t sure what to do so they would skip that. Juice though! Aladdin hurried over to the fridge and pulled out the juice container before his eyes went to the glass that master Judal had gotten him for his juice.

He looked around carefully, opening and closing many cupboard doors before he found the glasses. He had to drag a chair over as quietly as he could to reach up and grab one of the cups, but when he did, he found himself able to easily pour the juice and put the container of juice back in the fridge.

Good. He had food and drink. There wasn’t much of anything else that the other would need.

He scurried around for another minute to find something to carry the peaches on before he headed towards the bedroom once more. Holding the cup in one hand and the plate of peaches in the other, he pushed the door open to Judal’s room and headed over to set the things on his nightstand. It was only as he set them down that he felt two arms grab him, yanking him onto the bed. Hands went to his neck, legs pinning his down as the other had his eyes closed.

“Damn it Yunan,” the other hissed, making Aladdin feel a chill run down his back. There was just a way about that murmured curse that made him feel on edge, his hands scrambling to pull those hands off of his neck. Air wasn’t coming to him for a minute, making things hard as he started to quickly feel light-headed.

“Mas-ter…” Aladdin grabbed the other’s braid, yanking him down and with great relief finding that the other was releasing his neck. That was more along the lines of what he had expected the other to do to him when he had come here. Moving forward, he pressed his lips to Judal’s. He was supposed to be hurt and do nasty things with him. That was what he was here for. That was why he was bought and sold.

He could feel those lips part for him, those arms holding him close. The body towering over his made his body shake, that familiar strange warmth running through him as he felt his nervous fears returning once more. He didn’t feel ready. Despite what would happen if he didn’t do this, he wasn’t sure he could go through with it.

He pressed closer, trying to ignore the feelings as he kissed his master. Judal was nicer than he was giving him credit for. He was very nice. He wouldn’t hurt him that much.

Those red eyes opened slowly, looking down at him as Aladdin began to slip out of his underwear. The other’s lips paused, his whole body freezing as the other woke up.

Aladdin slipped his shirt off before he felt the blankets being wrapped around him. He was up and over the other’s shoulder before he could see Judal’s face, being carried to the bathroom without pause. He was set on the floor, the door shut behind him before he heard loud cursing and a door slam.

“Ah! Judal! Master!” Aladdin scrambled to escape the blankets, running for the bedroom after opening the bathroom door. He pounded on the locked door and yelled for the other. “I got you food! Can I help you anymore? You were enjoying what we were doing-“

“CHIBI! YOU STAY IN THE BATHROOM UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED YOURSELF UP AND ARE NOT GOING TO BE TRYING TO FUCK ME IN MY SLEEP!”

“Ah! I’m sorry! You were strangling me and saying something about a Yunan so I thought it might help you forget!” Aladdin pounded on the door for a second longer before he heard footsteps, seeing the door slam open and against the bedroom wall as Judal glared at him.

“What did you say?”

He balked, paling a bit at the other’s anger. “You said ‘damn you Yunan’ while you were choking me so I thought… maybe if I pulled you down and… you were strangling me.”

Judal rubbed the lower half of his face with a hand, gripping the doorframe with his other hand. “Go. Take a bath and get dressed too. I’ve got too much shit to work on to be trying to deal with all this.”

Aladdin looked up at him for a minute before he moved forward quickly. He wrapped his arms around the other and hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry.”

“Chibi, bathroom. Go.”

Aladdin turned, heading that way immediately before he shut the door. He looked down towards the ground as he moved into the bathroom and started the bathtub. He climbed in to find the water wasn’t as warm as it had been before when Judal had prepared it.

He sank beneath the water though, watching it quietly as he felt disappointment. Whenever he tried to make the other happy, it failed. He couldn’t quite manage things. Should he just not try anymore? It felt wrong to get so many things from him and not give anything in return. He was a burden.

He could just feel it.

He could get this and that, but in the end; Judal was doing everything for him.

What use could he be to someone who seemed to have everything? He never made a real request to him for help. Judal never wanted anything in the sexual nature from him. There was never anything he gave to Judal. Not really…

He climbed out of the tub feeling as though he had been fatigued all over again. With a towel around his waist, he headed towards the other room where his clothes were, climbing into them and finding that Judal had set the ones he had slipped out of in his room on the small bed in the room.

Was he really angry, Aladdin wondered as he held onto the spare bedroom door. Was it really okay for him to-

His thoughts were stopped when he heard a knock from the other side of the door.

“Oi! Brat, are you decent?”

“Yes!” Aladdin opened the door, looking up at his master with interest as the other held several things in his hands.

“I’m going to be working on paperwork so I figured you could draw your ending for the little prince and practice writing.”

Write and draw his ending? Aladdin stared up at his master, hearing those words only to feel a little bit better. That was what he could do to help his master. He could write the ending out and maybe write his own story for his master. The man liked bedtime stories a lot.

It was with that in mind and a great deal of inspiration that Aladdin took the colored pencils and paper from Judal and hurried over to the sofa and coffee table, settling down where Judal had made a small nest and beginning to work. His master meanwhile sat down at the dining room table and started to work on papers. Now a then, Aladdin could hear a soft curse ring through the room as Judal would erase something.


	8. Chapter 8

Aladdin spent a long time working on things, erasing and redrawing lines. Sometimes he would wander over to the kitchen and get something to eat. He liked the grapes that Judal took a minute to pull out for him. What made him happier was the fact that Judal was eating the peaches that he had pulled out for him. It made him feel important.

Finally, Aladdin looked down at his work and smiled to himself. It looked about right. He looked over at Judal again to see that the other looked frustrated.

“Master?” Aladdin picked up his papers and things and moved to sit down on the other chair at the table, making Judal look up. Those red eyes looked tired, showing bags underneath them. Still, he held his work up and smiled, “I finished!”

“Hmm?” Judal took the papers only to find that Aladdin was climbing into his lap, slipping between him and the papers.

“I can read this to you. You look really sleepy and angry.”

“Fine,” he replied, leaning back in the seat and looking over Aladdin’s shoulder.

“Okay, so the little prince got the offer from the snake,” Aladdin read, pointing at the words as he went. “But the little prince remembered that the rose was really mean and very demanding so he told the snake that he wasn’t sure about going back. The pilot finds the prince and tells the prince that he would be happy if the prince went home with him and they end up going home on the plane only to find that the rose managed to somehow get into the pilot’s yard. So the three of them live together from then on,” Aladdin smiled up at him and Judal looked at the writing.

“That’s the pilot?” Judal pointed at one of the drawings.

“Yeah, I drew him like you.”

“I see,” he stared at the picture as Aladdin looked at Judal’s work.

“What are these?”

“Gun designs,” he replied easily.

They were strange, his attention to detail and his straight lines for the different parts had Aladdin intrigued. He pulled the papers into his hands as well, looking at them closer. “Why are you drawing guns?”

“I don’t like the designs that the designers came up with so I was drawing some from memory to show the problems with the designs that they came up with.” Judal pointed to a certain part of the picture and held up another paper. “If you look, these old ones that I’m drawing are designed to be held by a person that can write with their right or left hand, but these new ones were designed by idiots who are assuming that everyone is right handed.”

Aladdin tried to see what he was talking about, but it looked the same to him.

“Plus, you see this,” Judal pointed to another part of the gun, “the ejection port is right where your face would be next to. That means when you attach a suppressor, all the gas and everything is ejected right near your face. That’s just poor designing in the highest degree.”

“Why do you know so much about guns?”

The question made his master pause. “…I used to be in the military.”

“The military?”

“I graduated from school early and joined the army as a pilot for two years then spent another half year in the army before I was kicked out.”

“You were a pilot?!” Aladdin grinned at that, imagining Judal flying around the desert and finding lost princes and drawing sheep and other things. Ah! That would explain how Judal was so good at drawing! He had probably lived the story instead of just reading it! The boy looked around quickly before grabbing a blank piece of paper and holding it up for Judal. “Can you draw me a sheep?”

The other’s serious expression seemed to soften, not much, but enough that he took the paper and sighed. “I have shit to do. I don’t have time to entertain you.”

“Please?”

“…fine, but you need to go watch a movie or do something else while I work.”

“I will! I want to see the drawing first!”

“Nope,” Judal picked him up easily, moving to the living area and plopping Aladdin back down onto the set of blankets on the floor. His attention moved to a box by the television, shuffling through the movies until he found the one he was looking for.

“I want to see your drawing first!” Aladdin hopped up, but Judal just shoved him back down and held up the VHS in his hand.

“You sure you don’t want to see what happens at the end of the movie Aladdin? I don’t think I told you the right ending.”

Those blue eyes looked conflicted, looking between him and the movie. He finally settled onto the couch with the blankets balled up in his arms. He looked at the television in expectation, making Judal smirk a bit.

“Good brat.” At least this way he could get some damn work done in peace. He tossed the movie in and left it to run from the very beginning as he went to work again. The boy smiled at him, hoping up before the flick started to hug him really quick then run back as the opening of the movie started.

He was a weird kid.

Judal sat back down and pulled up the specs for the latest models on his computer, taking just a moment to scan his pictures onto the computer and starting to work from there.

It looked like things were not going to be so simple to get done. He could feel his nightmare from earlier plaguing his mind as he tried to get things done. The attempts to remember problems he had with guns left him clutching his arm and frowning; it was aggravating.

Don’t tell me you are sorry when you started the whole thing. You’re a kid with daddy’s guns and hundreds are going to pay for it!

Judal winced dropping his pencil as he held onto his arm a bit more.

The sound must have caught Aladdin’s attention. He could hear the sound of feet hurrying across the floor of the room to his side. A hand holding onto his arm as well, the boy looked up at him in worry. “Are you okay?”

“Brat, go back to the couch.”

“You don’t seem okay though. Take a break from work and come watch it with me.” Aladdin’s smile grew a bit bigger. “The princess and Aladdin just went on a carpet ride.” As though to show that he had been paying attention or perhaps just to interest him, Aladdin began to hum the song they had been singing, tugging on him until Judal got up.

“chibi, I have things to do. I don’t have ti-“

“When was the last time you let your heart decide,” Aladdin quoted, looking up at him enthusiastically. The kid was just so eager to have him there. It made it hard to decide whether to smack him for being so childish or to indulge him. Of course, smacking him would no doubt make him more troublesome than anything.

You started the whole thing…

Aladdin’s blue gaze flickered up to him as they sat down, those innocent eyes watching him for a moment as Aladdin settled into his lap and pulled the blankets around them. His smile never faded as he turned his attention soon enough to the television.

So damn pleased…

The brat was just so happy with the most basic of things. Give him a blanket and a movie and he would probably be happy forever. And he was so eager to please.

Even now, with the boy lacing their fingers together and watching once more as things took a bad turn in the movie, Judal couldn’t help but to notice that Aladdin was looking up at him now and then. Why though? It was like karma had come to kill him.

‘You killed her! You bastard!’

‘It hurts, Titus…’

‘Don’t worry, Marga. I’ve got you.’

Judal held onto Aladdin a little tighter.

You don’t know what it means to have anything important. You don’t know what it means to have someone rely on you and look at you like that. You won’t be killed. No, both Titus and I know that will not do a thing. You can go home and live knowing this was all your fault.

Aladdin looked up at him again, those clear blue eyes seeming to go straight to his very soul as he smiled. “Master?”

“Don’t call me master, brat.”

The boy huffed, puffing his cheeks up as he spoke again. “You call me brat and Chibi so I’m going to call you Master.”

“Chibi, don’t test my patience.”

The boy turned to face him as the credits were rolling, having watched finally to the very end. His smile went back into place as he pulled Judal’s hair into his hands. “Did you draw me a picture yet?”

“Nope.”

Aladdin shook his head, “That’s okay. I don’t need a picture that bad. Thank you for sitting with me and watching the movie with me.”

“Yeah, well, I’m behind on shit now.”

“Can I help you?”

“You can help me by being quiet and not bothering me.” Judal pushed him off his lap, going to work at the table once more. He stopped on his way to grab a couple pills from the cabinet for his headache. Damn memories were always a pain in the ass.

“Ah, master! What were those? Can I make you something-“

“Silence until I’m done, brat.” Judal sat down and wiggled his computer mouse, seeing the screen return once more from hibernation. He let the boy slip down onto the couch, his hands going to the remote before the movie was rewinding and soon enough starting over again.

They remained silent again as time went by. And yet, the more he tried to focus on the guns again, the more he felt his headache getting worse. He couldn’t take it at one point, standing up and looking around for something else to do. He wasn’t behind on work to be honest anyway. He was quite ahead on things. With his promotion, he was just staying ahead of the game in general.

He didn’t even like his damn company anyway.

Aladdin looked over at him again.

Judal’s gaze went to the pictures and alternate ending to the story that were still lying on the table in the midst of his things.

“…Chibi… I have a story to tell you.”

“A story?” Aladdin hopped up, moving around the sofa and looking excited at the thought. “What’s it about?”

“It’s about another pilot. Get your shoes on though. We’ll go for a walk and I’ll tell it to you as we go.”

“Oh! Okay!” Aladdin hurried towards the garage, grabbing his sandals and starting to go into the garage when Judal pulled him over to the front door. Slipping his own sandals on, he opened the front door, grabbing his wallet and the spare house key before they walked out of the house. Aladdin looked so excited at the sight of the outside world; his eyes roaming over the area as he spun around and looked at it all. “I saw this creature this morning,” Aladdin told him. “It was in your backyard and it was hopping around like this.” He hopped and Judal shook his head.

“A bunny? It probably snuck in when the lawn people were mowing.”

“It was cute,” Aladdin told him. The smile and happiness was short-lived as a dog barked, sending Aladdin leaping into Judal’s arms. “MASTER!”

“it’s just Alibaba,” Judal shoved him back onto his feet again, looking over in annoyance at the neighbor lady. “Keep that pest on a leash, Anise!”

“He just wants to say hi,” she argued, coming down with the golden haired dog at her heels. “It’s surprising to see you out and about anyway. Who’s your friend?”

“I’m Aladdin,” Aladdin greeted, looking at her carefully as he hid behind Judal. His eyes went to the dog, watching in case it would attack him.

“Hello Aladdin,” she replied, kneeling down to pet a very happy and energetic Alibaba. “This is my pet, Alibaba. He won’t bite if you want to pet him.”

Aladdin looked at Judal for confirmation before he did anything. His gaze flickered to the dog’s teeth, gripping Judal’s hand as he carefully moved just a bit closer. Slowly, gradually getting to the woman and her beloved canine, Aladdin reached out to pet Alibaba. The dog moved, licking his hand only to make Aladdin shriek and hug Judal as though the dog had tried to eat him. Judal snorted as he held his newfound roommate in his arms, looking over at Anise.

“He’s never been around nice animals before… My late adopted sister’s husband was a bit of a violent person.”

Anise looked at the boy and shook her head, “That’s terrible. Aladdin come here. I’ll hold Alibaba still if you want to pet him.”

Aladdin declined though, holding onto Judal so tightly that his fists were a pale white. His face was buried into Judal’s shirt. Anise looked up at Judal as the boy shivered in his arms. “He won’t be going back to the man-“

“No, he’s going to be staying with me. Damn brat’s been lounging on my sofa all day watching his Disney movie and drawing pictures.”

“How cute,” Anise cooed. “Surely you can help him if anyone can. You know all about that kind of trauma after your work in the military.”

“The military isn’t that scary. It’s a bunch of paperwork and listening to others complain of being homesick.” Judal yanked Aladdin off of him and held him in front of the dog. “It’s just a dog, Aladdin. If you aren’t scared of a bunny, then the dog shouldn’t scare you either. He was just giving you a kiss.”

“That was not a kiss.”

“Dogs don’t have lips so that’s the best they can do,” Judal countered before he pulled Aladdin’s arm to the dog’s fur. Alibaba looked up at Aladdin carefully as Aladdin slowly began to pet him. That slow happy smile returning to Aladdin’s features.

Anise smiled, “See? He’s just a young sweetie. He won’t do a thing to hurt you.”

Aladdin knelt down like Anise was doing and hugged the dog as Alibaba gave Aladdin more dog kisses. His smile was in full power, a small happy laugh escaping him as Alibaba licked his face. “He’s so nice!”

“He is, isn’t he,” Anise looked over at Judal as the man rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, well Aladdin and I were heading to the park anyway.”

“I want to pet Alibaba more,” Aladdin told him.

Anise just smiled, pulling Alibaba back. “You both have fun. If you want, you can come by any time to visit Aladdin. I’ll make you something to eat and maybe we can take Alibaba for a walk.”

“That would be great!”

“Yeah, really great;” Judal tugged Aladdin along with him, feeling like a dog owner himself as he got the boy to leave his neighbor alone and head off with him.

“Alibaba was so nice!” Aladdin smiled over at him as Judal walked with his hands now in his pockets. “He was so soft and he smelled like lady’s perfume.”

“Yeah, yeah. He was a real great dog,” Judal glanced over at Kouha’s place before hurrying along with Aladdin. They would take the long way home later. “Why were you afraid of him in the first place?”

“Dogs are normally really mean. They foam at the mouth and bite at you as soon as you look at them. They never sit around so nicely or give kisses. Sometimes they will be really quiet and calm looking, but if you go near them then they bite. They’re lying creatures sometimes. People are normally the same way.”

“That’s just the illegal ones. Dogs that are kept as pets in the real world aren’t that messed up.” Judal glanced around before he continued. “People are lying bastards though. I don’t blame you for not trusting them.”

“You aren’t like that.” Aladdin smiled over at him. “Neither were the people in that movie or in our book. Some people are really nice and I hope to meet more people like you.”

So eager with his compliments and praise, Judal didn’t know what to make of the kid. He was just strange in general. The boy took his hand too, as though his compliments were not enough. Lacing their fingers, he started swinging their hands back and forth as they walked to the park.

It was a great deal tempting to pull his hand away, but he let things go for now.

“You said you were going to tell a story,” Aladdin asked, looking at him.

“Did I?”

“Yes, you did! Is it a long story?”

“You know, I seem to have forgotten it,” he lied. “I think I would rather have ice cream instead of trying to remember.”

“Ice cream?!”

“Yeah, let’s grab a couple cones and watch some birds in the park before heading back.”

That way his lips formed that smile, his eyes glinting with such energy and adulation, and his arms rose in the air as he cheerfully accepted the offer…

Judal rubbed his arm a bit as they headed into the park. “…Damn you, Yunan,” he murmured.


	9. Chapter 9

Aladdin wandered ahead slightly as they walked along the park. As the trees gently swayed in the early fall air and people were gone from the park, the two found themselves for the most part alone. The boy was a curious one, moving from one thing to another. Sometimes he would pick up a leaf or a flower. The petals and veins of the plants he would look over carefully, as though he had never been able to fully appreciate such a thing before, then he would set it back down.

The flowers though, he would continue to give Judal.

“Master, they have roses here!” Aladdin hurried ahead as he caught sight of the roses they proudly had in the park. “They have a lot of them!”

Of course, by this time, Judal was distracted, reminiscing over things so much that he didn’t catch any of the words. He sat down with his bouquet of tulips and lilies and leaned back on a bench as Aladdin went to go examine the rose bushes.

“They’re all red!”

_“They’re all dead!” Titus announced from the front. “How did this happen? What the hell?!”_

_“See what happens when you take a child from them. Who the hell cares anyway. She was just a brat with a sickness.”_

_“She was given treatment! She was going to… YOU!” Titus glared at him before leaping from the military van, running across the ground in a panic. “MARGA!”_

“OUCH! MASTER!”

Judal jumped into the air as he heard the yelp, running to Aladdin’s side as fast as he could. He watched the blood drip from Aladdin’s hand and stared. The deep crimson color fell from his hand as Judal stared at it. His mind going completely numb, Judal continued to stare straight at the wound.

“Master, it hurts,” Aladdin looked up at him, moving closer and covering the blood with his other hand. “It hurts really bad. Make it stop.”

“…Yeah…” Judal shut his eyes a moment before shaking his head and frowning at Aladdin. “Didn’t you pay attention to our story yesterday. Roses have thorns.”

“I forgot.”

“I can see that.” He ripped at his shirt, wrapping the cloth around the boy’s hand and tying it into place before he shook his head once more. “You need to be more careful.”

The boy nodded. The smile returned to his hand once more before he hurried back over to the bush and picked up the rose he had plucked from the bush. He returned to hold it out again. “I managed to get one for you.”

The rose was splashed with his blood, glinting in the light of the falling sun. It’s thorns gleaming and looking ominous from the stem of the plant as the boy held it carefully. And yet, for him to return for something that had hurt him, to return to his former mood without a trace of the pain and hurt he felt…

Judal rolled his eyes and took the flower, carefully plucking the thorns from the stem as the boy looked around again.

“Do we get ice cream here-“

“No, we have to walk through the park.” And they did, with Aladdin looking around. His curiosity blooming with the lights filtering through the trees, the boy caught sight of a squirrel and a chipmunk. He smiled and pointed, listening to Judal’s explanations. 

“They’re always around?”

“You should see the seabirds around the fast food places. They’ll eat French fries if people throw them on the ground.”

“Why would someone do that?”

“People like feeding birds.”

“I see,” Aladdin replied, that knowing look making Judal shove his hands in his pockets and nod.

“Yeah…”

“What do you like to do when you aren’t working?”

“I don’t do anything, brat. I work and I sleep.”

“Huh? But that’s so boring! Look at all this!” Aladdin waved his hand around. “How can you sleep and sit around drawing guns when there’s so much out here to look at and experience!”

“Easy. I’ve been out in the world. It isn’t great. It’s lousy and people are nothing but bastards. There’s not a soul that is truly that trustable unless you have something on them, but then they hate you and there’s really no point besides a working relationship with them.”

“But… we don’t have a working relationship… Am I a bastard?”

“No, you’re a Chibi. A short runt. A brat. You don’t get put into a category until you grow up, but by then you’ll have left me.”

“No way! I will stay with you and make you happy always!” Aladdin moved close to his side again, pulling his hand into that small grip of his. “you don’t have to worry about bastards or trusting anyone else. I’ll be right here and you can trust me. You are my master after all. There’s no one more trustable than your loyal slav-“

“Don’t,” Judal interrupted. “Don’t call yourself that again, brat. I don’t want to hear it. If you want to stay with me, that’s your own business, but I’m not your master and you are not my slave.”

“You like to say that.”

“That’s because it’s true. You don’t get to listen to me tell you what to do. You know why? Listening to me and doing what I tell you will get boring. You’ll shake your head and jump when I say, bend when I tell you, and move when I point, but what will that bring me? You’ll be like an arm or a leg. There’s no point in needing a third of either so eventually I would just get bored. So do what you want, got it? You don’t need to listen to everything others tell you. In the real world, it will just cause you to be swept up and carried away.” As much as he wanted to continue to explain this to the boy though, he could tell his words were already having an effect. Aladdin’s face dimmed, his fists clenching as he looked down at the flowers in Judal’s other hand as they walked.

“…I know that… I know that too well…”

“Do you?”

Aladdin’s face shadowed. “That’s how I lost everyone and ended up with those people before… You are right about everything. I got bored and angry and then I was taken away.”

Interesting… Very interesting, Judal thought to himself as he held the boy’s hand a little tighter.

“So, I was going to tell you a story.”

Aladdin looked up at him and nodded, “Yes, you were!”

“There was this kid, whose parents were killed before he could remember. He was raised by these horrible clowns. These clowns worshiped demons.”

“Demons?”

“Demons are horrible creatures that eat all the happiness and good in the world.”

“That’s horrible!”

Judal nodded. “Yes, well that’s what they worshipped and loved.”

Those gorgeous blue eyes were wide in astonishment, “how could anyone love a monster!”

“You would be surprised, the worst people in the world have the biggest fans.” Ah, but that was getting on another topic. “So as I was saying, the boy was raised for a time by these clowns, watching their practices as his heart became deeply frozen.”

“Frozen?”

“Completely frozen away where no one could touch it,” Judal replied. “He was almost killed by them after that time, but the police, the main good people in the world,” he explained as Aladdin frowned at the term ‘police’, “came and stopped them. They took the boy away, but the boy was dead inside.”

“I don’t know if I like this story…”

“Let me finish.”

“Okay,” Aladdin replied before Judal opened the door and they bought themselves two ice cream cones. The large chocolate cone in Aladdin’s hand made him beam at the girls behind the counter, thanking them repeatedly as the girls laughed and cooed at him.

They walked back outside and Judal continued once more. “The boy went to a foster home, which was to his expectation, owned by one of the members of the clowns’ organization. He was raised the normal way, excelling in his studies about the world and starting a business with the organization. He was smart about things, hiding away the bottom dollars here and there. He was good, never being suspected as he skipped some school grades and graduated very early. He didn’t go to a fancier school though. No, he sold the company he had made with the clowns and joined the military as a pilot. He wanted to fly, truly fly away from everything. He bought a fake identity and he pulled a book from a shelf to come up with a name for himself. He ran far and long until he was well hidden in the military that no one would look for him. He was so used to the war and fighting though. He was so used to seeing people hurt that he couldn’t deny he had a liking for it.”

“He liked to see others in pain?”

“He did. It served to remind him he was alive.” Judal remembered it well. “It was a thrill unlike any other. To be able to look at the others, see the pain in their eyes as they bleed out. The man got off on that. He left being a pilot to be able to see it again. He had spent two years flying alone; he wanted a nice thrill, a war. He was hungry, and violence was his meal, Chibi. He joined the front lines and got himself a gun and a vest. It wasn’t enough though. Not when his comrades turned on him. He had turned in to a village this small child, sick as a horse, because the villagers were looking to stop a sickness that was running through the homes. The child was from the next village over though, so when he got the girl killed, others came in vengeance. The group he was fighting with, his comrades, all had to fight. They hated it, shooting his arm and shoulder at the end in hopes to have him either die or be very handicapped. They were hoping to make him a bigger shell of a person than he already was.”

The child was silent beside him as he licked his ice cream and listened.

“He healed alright though, was discharged from service with no honors or anything. He was given a small pension, but his savings from working with those clowns ages ago had more than doubled. He had managed to sneak his inheritance that his parents had left him out of the bank. He had money and he had military experience.”

“So he joined people making weapons?”

“Yes, he did. He joined right up and after about six months, he was up at the top with the main people in the business.”

Aladdin frowned at him, sucking the ice cream out of the cone. His face was covered in chocolate smudges as he spoke with his mouth full. “So you unfroze your heart and weren’t a shell anymore?”

“Nope,” Judal pat his chest as he lapped up some of the melting ice cream around his cone and hand. “It’s still frozen in this body of mine. My love is dead and my feelings are too. I don’t care. I don’t feel. I told you I was asexual. It’s more like no sexual. I am not interested in any of that shit. I can’t feel anymore. The bullets that went into me took the small amount of caring that I had.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is though.”

“You aren’t like that,” Aladdin murmured, eating the last of his cone before he looked over at Judal. Those eyes of his, how many times had he noticed those damn eyes of his before? He couldn’t even… “You aren’t dead inside and you do have feelings. You take care of me and you help me without having to be told or anything. You just act without provocation.”

“It’s just because you’re a brat.”

“It’s not though! You said you turned that kid in before when they were sick, but I was worse than sick and you didn’t give me up. You took me home after feeding me and you bought me clothes and things! You let me have my own name and told me lots of things I’ve never known before.”

“You’re just putting me on a pedestal because I saved you.” Judal ruffled the boy’s hair before sitting down on a nearby bench and setting the flowers beside him as he continued to eat his ice cream the rest of the way. “Go play with squirrels for a few minutes while I rest my feet.”

The boy stood before him as he finished up his ice cream cone, licking his fingers a minute before Aladdin moved forward. He settled onto his lap and looked up at him directly. Their eyes were locked, staring deeply into one another. Those hands pressed against his chest for a split second before he leaned in, pressing his lips to Judal’s own. Those chocolate smeared lips pushed against him again, trying to get him to respond.

“Ch-ah-Fuck!” Judal pulled him closer and pressed him down against the bench, his lips pressing against Aladdin’s hard as he kissed him. There was no need to try to be nice about this. No, Aladdin had made his bed and he was going to get a taste of how comfortable it was. He yanked those hands over his head, trapping them under one hand as those blue eyes opened in anxious fears and nervousness. He didn’t pull back as the boy squirmed, shoving his tongue into the boy’s mouth as he stole the kid’s breath away. He watched the tears brim those eyes as he pulled back, holding Aladdin down still. “Don’t kiss me. Don’t. You don’t want this. Look at you. You’re scared beyond all reason and you’re fighting me when I was giving you exactly what a kiss brings to a person. Don’t. Kiss. Me. If you were trying to prove your point about me, then you got your answer.”

He released those hands and let the boy scramble up, standing up himself and brushing himself off. “Come on, let’s go.”

They returned to the house in silence, Aladdin holding the flowers he had given Judal. Those blue eyes refused to look at him as they had a quick little dinner. He pushed the arguing boy to the other bedroom, shutting the door despite Aladdin’s pleas.

“I’m afraid of being alone!” Aladdin yelled as Judal held the doorknob.

“You need to learn to sleep on your own.”

“JUDAL! MASTER!” Those fists banged against the door for a while before Judal could hear sobbing, listening to the boy curl up against the door.

It was only after he heard the sobs die down a bit that he moved, silently moving to his own room and shutting the door. He had an early morning tomorrow. He could probably leave Aladdin with his neighbor for the day. They seemed to get along well.

Sleep met him quicker than his bed. His body landing on the sheets with a small thud. And as a light in the night, he was snuffed out into the darkness.

_“You killed her!”_

_“You won’t be killed…”_

“…gemu…”

_“It hurts…”_

_“You bastard!”_

“…Judaruda…”

He couldn’t breathe through the sheer agony of the bullet pain that no longer was a problem. He couldn’t breathe through the thick fog of memories in his dreams. Judal gasped for air as he tried to remain asleep. His mouth captured away as his dreams changed.

There was no small Marga in his dreams anymore, no Titus, no Yunan; rather, there was blue eyes watching him from the darkness, a small hand reaching up to pull him close. There was comfort in the small body that looked up at him in his dreams. Those arms wrapped around him in a manner he had only seen from strangers on the streets and military members with family. He could feel his body feeling colder, but the warmth returned soon enough.

Fingers ran over his skin, pulling him closer before he felt something warm cover him.

The sound of a small yelp awakened him.

Perhaps sleeping would have been better though. Anything would be better though. Judal stared at the display before him and couldn’t think. The gears of his mind stopped turning. His mouth and body went cold and dry. He stared at the tear filled eyes and felt those arms holding him close.

“…It hurts so bad…”

Aladdin clung to him, his ass pressed against Judal’s crotch area as the boy took him in to the hilt. Nevermind preparation, nevermind him being awake; no, Aladdin had just impaled himself right onto…

“Aladdin,” he breathed. No, he didn’t breathe it so much as he growled the damn brat’s name. He acted on impulse, punching the boy’s face. Not hard, but enough that Aladdin leaned back and yelped again.

“You were crying and twisting in bed-“

“Damn it, stop moving!” Judal grabbed him and rolled him over, laying him flat against the mattress. “You stupid, stupid brat… Dammit…” laying his head against the boy’s neck, Judal cursed repeatedly, not daring to move with his penis so deeply in that tight heat.

“…I think…I think I’m getting used to this.” Aladdin wrapped his arms around his shoulders again and leaned his head against Judal’s. “Do you feel better?”

“You stupid, stupid kid.” Judal moved back and saw the boy’s face, taking a moment to let out a large frustrated sigh. “Do you have any idea what it even means to have sex? It’s not something you do when someone is having a nightmare. You let the damn idiot have their nightmare then cheer them up when they get up. Either that or you wake the damn person up and you tell the pussy to get his ass to the kitchen and suck it up. You don’t fuck them!”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

“That’s not why I’m keeping you!”

“You said for me to do what I want or people will take me away. You said for me not to listen to what others tell me to do!”

“Yeah! So stop trying to seduce me like those bastards you were with before tried to fucking teach you!”

“I’m not doing it because they told me to!”

“Then wh-“

“I LIKE YOU!” Aladdin and Judal both went quiet as Aladdin said that, his face burning bright even in the dim light given from the moonlight streaming through the windows in the room. “…I really, really like you… That’s why I did this…”

Deep breaths, Judal thought to himself as he took in the situation. The brat already had given up his anal virginity. He was already far enough along that he could feel precum against his chest, wetting his shirt. He would keep trying to do this probably until he got it once.

Clearly intimidation wasn’t going to work.

Judal leaned against the boy a bit more, shaking his head. No more trying to get him to go into another room to sleep. At least not for a while. The kid had clearly felt the need for connecting.

“We do this… and you don’t get any more sex from me. Understood?”

“Yes,” the other breathed, holding onto him more.

That was a little too eager a yes, but he would hold the boy to that. He gave a small movement, pulling out slightly to feel Aladdin quiver beneath him. His hands ran up the boy’s chest, pulling those hands holding him off to press them against the bed sheets. “I have never done this,” Judal warned him. “I have no idea how the hell this goes down.”

“Just in and out,” Aladdin told him.

“I think there’s more to it than that.” Judal kissed along the boy’s shoulders and neck, wondering how deep into hell he was going to be for this. It felt strange. Not bad, but strangely wrong in a sense. This was someone who was several years younger, someone who should be believing in fairytales and chasing little girls on a playground.

He shouldn’t be doing this. He shouldn’t even think about such things.

“Ah, Ju…ju…”

Hell was going to have a special corner for him if it did exist. Judal pulled that face to look at him, moving slower this time when he went to kiss him. His lips moved slower, trying to get the hang of what they were doing. He was adaptable. It wasn’t that hard. Half the world was full of idiots who did this without being able to speak properly.

Aladdin held him close and made a noise, his lips melding into place against Judal’s own. His teeth bumped against Judal’s, making him tilt his head and pull back slightly. Yet it wasn’t like before. Aladdin’s lips made him want to return and go deeper. His body felt like it had been stirred. His mind was filled with those sounds that were filling his ears. The sounds, so wet and slapping; those moans, so wanton and needy: Judal couldn’t help but fall deeper and deeper into his little nympho.

Inside that warmth, Judal couldn’t help but to find himself growing more interested in this. His pace began to quicken, getting to a point where he felt like he was going too fast, and then slowing down to the point where Aladdin sounded like he was going to die. The fact that his own body felt that way when he went slow was not helping.

He picked up his pace again, running his thumbs over the boy’s cheeks. He watched those oceans behind those eyes pull him under. He couldn’t help himself. Not right now. He would give him what he wanted, but only now.

The boy came hard against him, his body arching, legs pressing together a bit as Judal pounded hard against his prostate. His body was drenched in sweat, his eyes hovering to a close. He could see the boy’s braid coming undone, fluttering around his face against the pillows as he was pushed into the mattress.

“JUDAL,” he cried out in that celestial voice of his, the sound ringing in the room. On and on he seemed to cum, making Judal press against him and pull out only after a few minutes. He let himself go quietly, shutting his eyes as he felt Aladdin roll over and cuddle close.

The room smelled like sin. He felt like he’d been running laps for hours. A glance at the clock told him his first day in his new position in the company was going to be one of little to no sleep.

“Thank you,” the boy breathed, snuggling closer. “Thank you, thank you.”

“Yeah, I’m a saint.” Judal wrapped his arms around the boy and hoisted him up, carrying him towards the bathroom and flicking on the light only to wince. “Damn…”

“Ah, let’s not come in here.”

“We both smell like shit and I work in three hours. We’re going to shower and then you’re sleeping on the couch while I work.”

“Okay,” the boy agreed, nuzzling against his neck. “You kiss differently when you are in me.”

“It’s bath time, not let’s talk about sex time.”

“Can we take it together?”

“We have to. I don’t have the time to run two baths and make sure you don’t overdo it trying to clean yourself off.” Just let him be able to sit later, Judal silently prayed. Stupid kid was going to be the death of him.

Aladdin smiled though, holding onto him as he set the boy down and began to fill the bath with warm water. The little snot grabbed the bubble bath and poured some in, tugging him into the tub as Judal was trying to get Aladdin’s shirt off him. Convenient how their pants just went missing long ago, Judal thought with distain as the boy settled against his chest and pulled their hair from their binds.

“I like your hair without it being braided.”

“Yeah? Well I like it braided.”

“Can we eat after this? I’m hungry.”

“Chibi, not a power in the world will let me give you anything to eat after this bath. You need to sleep.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m exhausted, but someone wanted to have sex.”

Aladdin winced, “…yeah…”

“Do I sense regret? You know I have to work a full eight hour shift starting at six this morning; which means I leave here at five if I want to have a cup of coffee before I get there.”

“What time is it now?”

“Two.”

“Oh…”

“I have three hours to work and then go.”

“Can’t you nap?”

“No, I can’t. If I nap, I will sleep for the entire day.” Judal flicked the brat’s forehead with a sour expression. “Start cleaning yourself up, Chibi. I’ve gotten about an hour or so of sleep and a long day ahead of me.”

The boy nodded, grabbing the washcloth from nearby and some soap before beginning to wash himself. Within an hour, they were clean and drying off in the living room under towels and blankets, sleeping in Aladdin’s case as Judal looked up models to compare on his computer.

The sun rose somewhat by the time Judal got up to get dressed. He glanced over towards his neighbor’s home and grimaced.

“What’s wrong?”

“Anise is asleep, I think.”

Aladdin sat up a bit more on the couch. “So?”

“So~ I was going to have her watch you.”

“I will just go with you.”

“You are not coming with me to work!” Judal glared over at him, holding his bag in hand as he looked over at the kid. He had meetings, papers to fill out, guns to fire, and people to yell at. He was not going to have some primary school kid smiling and trying to kiss him every five minutes.

“…if I stay with the lady from yesterday, she could probably tell me more about sex. I think we could have done better. I didn’t do much of anyt-“

“Go get dressed and get your shoes on!”

Aladdin hopped up immediately at the command, sprinting for the spare bedroom for his clothes. “YES! I love going places with you!”

Judal sank into a chair at his dining room table, letting his head bang against the wood. Life sucked. Life sucked in many ways.


	10. Chapter 10

Aladdin held his little tablet as Judal buckled him into the car. His jacket and ensemble matched Judal’s. He watched as the other settled his own papers and laptop on his lap.

“You’re going to hold these, aren’t you?”

“Of course!” Aladdin smiled at him, “Thank you for the pillow.” He shifted his butt a bit on the fluffy pillow. “It’s really comfy.”

“Yeah, well, you’ll probably be sleeping half the day away in my office while I work so you might want something to sleep with.”

“Do you sleep at work?”

The door shut with his reply, making Aladdin shift around in his seat as the man walked around the car and opened the driver’s side. He gave a great sigh before he started the engine, opening the garage door and pulling out. The sun was barely over the horizon, painting the world in pastels colors.

It was amazing. He couldn’t help himself. Aladdin rolled the window down as they drove and stuck his head by the window, turning on the radio and bobbing his head to the music. It was a good song on the radio, making him smile.

“This song reminds me of you,” he told Judal.

“I’m trying to drive, brat.”

Aladdin apologized, but he began to hum the song along with the radio. The road passed under them as the lights that guided their way flew past. He couldn’t help but to watch them pass one by one, mouth open in awe of it all. The world was so cool and relaxed like this. There was no one outside right now; just a few cars here and there, but no people on the streets.

The birds flew overhead as the sun rose higher. Aladdin continued to sing with the radio now, learning parts of the music fast. His feet swung in front of him. Everything in the world was as it should be. He had done his job and made his master pleased in bed, even though it hadn’t made him too happy afterwards.

He was good at kissing though. Aladdin looked over at Judal and smiled as they turned into another place, Judal driving around and talking to one of those inanimate objects again. He looked over a moment before saying something else and driving around.

“Do you come here often?”

“Every weekday, Chibi.” He pulled his wallet out of his pants and fished out a few dollars, handing it to the woman inside the building. She handed him cups, which he set down between them.

“Have a good day!”

“Judal gave a slight smile, fake clearly, before they started driving again. The other was taking sips from the cup on his side, sometimes drinking it and making a turn with one hand. His expression was bored, his eyes underlined with small bags.

Aladdin looked at the cup near himself and frowned. “Is that-“

“Yeah, that’s for you. Careful though, it’s hot.”

“It is? Should I wait for it to get cold?”

“Not unless you really want to taste lousy chocolate milk. You drink it warm Chibi. That’s why it’s called hot chocolate.”

He took a careful sip, smacking his lips a bit before he watched how Judal drank again. He watched a few sips be drunk by the man before he started to mimic. They reached the parking garage and Aladdin was swaying his head to the music on the radio and drinking his drink gleefully. Judal climbed out after they parked, walking around the car and opening the back for a minute before he shut the trunk and held a bag for Aladdin; “Put your things in here. You can have your own bag too that way everyone thinks we’re at least being professional.”

What a cool idea! Aladdin pulled his pillow out from under him, setting his book and his little computer tablet into the bag as well. They zipped it up a moment before Judal hung it around Aladdin’s shoulders.

“Not bad.”

“We’re going to be the most professional people in the building.”

“Yeah, something like that.” Judal grabbed his laptop and papers before he picked his drink back up from on top of the car. “Do you have your hot chocolate?”

“Yes!” He held it up for the other to see before Judal shut the door to the car and locked it.

“Alright, this way. We need to go to the skywalk.”

“The what?”

“You’ll see.”

A hallway made mostly of glass and metal, that’s what the skywalk was. Everything could be seen from it. There were cars passing underneath their feet, advertisements flashing from a board nearby on a building. There was a large food place where they had eaten the other night. There were birds sitting on the roof of the hallway.

It was just…

“Aladdin, don’t fall behind.” Judal doubled back, pulling him along by his braid.

“Ah-Sorry!” Aladdin smiled to him. “Did you see the birds?!”

“Yeah, they’re probably pooping.”

“Do they do that here?” Aladdin looked back as Judal choked on his coffee.

“Shit! The key for the building!” The man handed him his laptop and things before setting the coffee down next to him. “Stay right here. I need to run back to the car for a minute.”

“wha-WAIT!” Aladdin yelled after him, but Judal was already running, his coat and braid fanning out behind him as he ran.

Aladdin sighed, once more looking out the windows. It was really cool here. No wonder Judal didn’t mind working for a place that made horrible things like guns. If he could have a view like this, well… he would be considering making bad things too. Then again, maybe he felt safer behind a gun instead of being pointed at.

Too much to think about, Aladdin took another sip of his hot chocolate and smiled at the taste. It was really good! He had never had this before. It was like a big warm hug in a cup, a comfort that went from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. He liked that.

“I’m back,” Judal rushed back to him, looking down to snort. “I see you like your drink.”

“Hmm?”

Judal knelt down, licking his finger before he was rubbing at Aladdin’s lips a bit. “Alright. If anyone asks, I’m your guardian, got it?”

“Yes!”

“What am I?”

“You’re my guardian.”

“You’re homeschooled too, if anyone asks if you go to school.”

“Of course! I want to stay with my guardian and not have to be away from him.”

“Just needed the of course, not the extra,” Judal looked him over a minute before checking his watch. “We’re about ten minutes early so we don’t have to worry about too much. Only a few third shift people are here right now, but they’re going to be really tired so keep quiet and follow me, got it?”

“I know, now let’s go. You’re gonna be late.”

“You don’t have to tell me that, you little shit.” Judal took his computer and papers back before picking up his coffee. He unlocked the door and slipped through, leaving it open with his foot for Aladdin to slip through. They wandered down the hallways together, sipping their coffees and walking in step with one another.

“Morning, Judal,” a blue haired woman greeted from by the copying machine, her gaze dropped to Aladdin. “Who’s this?”

“I apparently get to be a parent.” Judal replied, “Aladdin. Hakuei. Hakuei, Aladdin.”

“You both are looking very nice today.” Hakuei smiled to Aladdin, “Are you looking forward to seeing Judal work today?”

“Yep! We’re gonna play in his office.”

“We’re not playing in my office,” Judal hissed as Hakuei covered her mouth, giggling a bit before she followed after them.

“Don’t you have a brother in accounting to visit, ‘Kuei?” Judal looked back at her and grimaced at the bright smile.

“Kougyoku is in your office, Judal.”

“Great.”

“She might not be there still, but she was in there this morning.”

“I swear to god, if she actually bought me that dil-object with no name,” he corrected, eyeing Aladdin as he stopped from saying dildo,” and it’s vibrating in my desk then I’ll kill her.”

“The unfiltered Judal has to behave, I think I like you being a parent.” Hakuei gave a small wave. “If you want to stretch your legs a bit from playing only in Judal’s office, I’m right down the hall, alright Aladdin?”

“Okay, Miss Hakuei.”

She left them from there, Judal scoffing at her. “Having to behave, she makes me sound like a rude idiot.”

Aladdin sipped at his drink as well as the other fumed all the way down to his office. He shut the door behind them and motioned to the couch in the room. “That’s yours. You can sleep or I took the liberty to download some reading and writing lessons on there that will show me where your literary skills are so you can work on those.”

“I’m gonna take a nap!” Aladdin headed over to the couch and pulled his tablet out, setting it and his book onto the small table by the couch and preparing to pull out his pillow when a figure walked in. Her red hair was done in almost a bow shape, her eyes sharp in the same nature Judal’s were sometimes.

“Judal, you didn’t answer my text message Friday evening.”

“Clearly busy, Old hag,” Judal set his things on his desk. “I still need to clock in.”

“Oh well, look who lost a pair-ah, who’s he?” Kougyoku’s eyes landed on Aladdin before she frowned. “Judal, you aren’t supposed to let the beggars outside in. They’re steal things.”

“Judal is busy. You should come back later, old lady.”

“Huh? Excuse me?” Kougyoku glared at him. “I am younger than him,” he motioned at Judal before looking over to him for help. “Why is this brat here? Why didn’t you answer my text about going drinking? We were going to talk about company hopping.”

“Oh shit, was that Friday?”

“Yes, it was. Who is the rude little snot sitting on your leather couch?”

“Chibi, Kougyoku. Kougyoku, that’s Aladdin. He’s my godchild,” he paused to think staring in  a random direction of the room, “nephew? I don’t know what the hell kind of term you use for kids that end up with you.”

“Adopted is what word you are looking for and what are you doing?”

“Searching for ‘Gyoku presents in my desk, I know you too well.”

She rolled her eyes, moving to lean against his desk a bit. “You make it sound like I would put something inappropriate in-“

“There it is. Pink? You flatter me, old maid.” Judal winked over at Aladdin as Kougyoku frowned, spinning around to face him.

“I didn’t put any- AH! WHAT THE HELL!?” She screeched as Judal tossed a black thing at her, making her jump and begin to smack herself. “DAMN IT JUDAL! I HATE THAT THING!”

Aladdin looked over the couch, seeing the toy spider lying on the floor. He laughed a bit as the woman told off Judal.

She was noisy though, noisy enough that Aladdin grew tired of listening to her and put in the pair of headphones that came with his tablet and started to play with it. After a few minutes of trouble, he finally found what he wanted and snuggled onto the couch, shutting his eyes and beginning to rest.

“And-“

“Shut up!” Judal hissed as he saw Aladdin settling on the couch. He walked around, tossing the fake bug on his desk before he pulled Kougyoku out of the room and checked one more time to make sure that the boy was gone. Those little blue eyes were closed and a small murmur escaped him before Aladdin rolled over on the sofa, headphones falling to the floor. He shut the door to his office and looked over at the woman. “You complain too much, anyway, what news was there to share Friday?”

Kougyoku smiled, looking mischievously at Judal. “Oh, just some news I know someone like you would love to hear.”

“Every second you wait is another that I remain standing and debating over whether to send Aladdin into your office with that fake spider to hide where you will surely scream when you-“

“Sinbad’s coming today.”

Judal stared at her in shock, his face slowly turning into a grin. “The idiot from Sindrian Industries?”

“The same,” Kougyoku purred. “He’s coming in to talk about a plan with my brothers, but~ I heard from a little birdie over in his business that he’s got a whole new area of business that he’s going to go into and he wants some experienced management.”

“You would leave your dear brothers,” Judal asked sarcastically as he clocked in nearby.

“Well, if they could offer me more than inventory position, I wouldn’t mind running away with the man. Besides,” she smiled, blushing a bit. “Have you seen him? He’s gorgeous.”

“Yeah, arrogant bastard he is.” Judal shook his head before they headed down the hall towards the meeting rooms. “Anyway, you know what time he’s gonna be here?”

“No clue, I just heard it from Kouha on Friday. He was in a pissy mood.”

“delightful,” Judal smirked at her. “Try not to fall into any pig pens while I’m working. I have one brat to look over and I would rather it not be the old hag from inventory.”

“I’m not old!”

Judal shut the door, nodding to the others in the room with a smile. “Good morning, who wants to start a war?”


	11. Chapter 11

Aladdin felt himself wake up slowly, his gaze going to his surroundings. The woman from earlier was sitting on the couch nearby, working with papers on the desk and mumbling to herself as she moved things around and wrote notes onto her computer sitting on the coffee table. Occasionally a hand would brush a strand of hair back, her eyes drifting to another piece of paper or her teeth biting into her lip as she would look for another piece of paper in the pile.

“If we just maybe… no…” Kougyoku frowned as she stared at the papers and her computer.

“Ah… where’s Judal?” Aladdin sat up and looked around, noting that the other wasn’t in the room.

“He left. He has better things to do than take care of you.” Kougyoku looked at her paper, only taking a second to give Aladdin a frown before she was working.

“He’s gone?” Aladdin looked around in a panic, feeling his insides twist. Ah, but more than that, he had to pee. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“There’s one down the hall an- Hey!” Kougyoku screeched as her papers were strewn about as Aladdin hurried towards the door. He looked around outside the office, heading down the hallway towards where there was a bathroom sign. He avoided walking close to anyone, looking at the tall adults working around the place anxiously.

He ducked into the bathroom and began to go, feeling his face turning a bit pink as he felt abandonment anxiety hit him. Judal wasn’t really gone. He wouldn’t. His chest was feeling heavy, his body shaking a bit as he sat down after peeing and covered his mouth.

No…

Judal wouldn’t do that to him. Judal was a good master. He was his master and masters didn’t leave. Guardians didn’t leave. Master was not the term that Judal wanted to be called. He was his guardian and Aladdin was his adopted child. Yes. That was how things were.

“-have to pee. Talk to me while I take care of things in here.”

“Sinbad. Damn it all. I’m not going to discuss work while you-Sin! We’re already running late!”

“Late to be early.”

“I don’t care, you know I just want to come in and go out. In and out; that’s it.”

“Tell me about the adoption progress you’ve made.”

“Sin!” The figure outside the stall was quiet a moment before groaning. The sound of pants unzipping could be heard from both figures before the man spoke again. “I’ve been trying so hard… I graduated from a good school and I have a great job, but they take one look at my past and they’re pulling the files of orphans away from me like I’ve got a disease.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I had one almost go through. I came this close from having a teen to take care of, but… He was a delinquent and was thrown back into juvenile jail for killing three kids.”

“Damn.”

“Tell me about it. I had gotten so excited for a while there. I had the room ready and everything. It just sits empty in my condo with all those things. I feel like I should almost just buy a dog and be happy.”

“Dogs are friendly.”

“They aren’t… there’s something about having a kid, Sin. I swear, Masrur has gotten to me with his little girl Morgiana. I see them together and I’m just painfully reminded of how alone I am.”

“You have me whenever you want me.” Aladdin could see one of the men leaning closer to the other. “Whenever you need me, you only need to dial my number. Give me an address and I’ll be speeding to your doorstep.”

Aladdin wasn’t going to listen to anymore. Enough was enough, he had to find Judal. He wiped and flushed before quickly hurrying to the door and slipping through it before the other two could look at him. He looked around the hallway again, remembering quickly how uncomfortably full of people he didn’t know it was.

He scanned the hallway as he walked slowly down it, looking at everything and leaving nothing out. Somewhere, there had to be Judal.

Somewhere.

Ja’far looked over at Sinbad and frowned as a blue blur whipped through the doorway. “What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know.” Sin zipped up his pants and shook his head. “Maybe one of the employees has a kid here or something.”

“A kid?” Ja’far looked towards the door a minute before he looked back up at Sinbad. “…I really hate you.”

“Oh, calm down. Maybe they have a midget worker.” He washed his hands as Ja’far complained.

“You know I don’t come in during family day at work. I don’t want to have to see more children that won’t talk to me. Morgiana doesn’t even say a word and you kno-“

“In the words of our old boss Solomon, ‘shut up and let’s go get laid’.”

“Yes, well… This is why he isn’t running the company anymore.” Ja’far moved to open the door and looked outside the room. “You were right, by the way. It is a boy.”

Sinbad walked over, looking out as Ja’far moved ahead. The kid was looking around so nervously, his braid whipping around as he peeked into offices and stared at different name plates on the doors. Ja’far caught him as he was looking at a vending machine.

“Excuse me-“

“Ah! Sorry!” The boy leaped back, almost running into someone walking by.

“You’re fine.” Ja’far smiled at the child, kneeling down to be at eye level. “I was wondering if you could show me the way to the meeting room? My friend and I got a bit lost.”

Liar, Sinbad thought as he watched the boy look around again.

“I-I don’t actually know either. I can’t remember where my guardian’s office is.”

“That’s alright, if you want, we can help you find it and maybe your parent will know where the meeting room is?” Ja’far smiled more, the warmth of such an expression made Sinbad feel himself grin. There was just about nothing that the other wanted more than to have someone to take care of. He was a mother in another life. That was for sure. Yet even with such a compassionate expression and offer, the boy shook his head and took a couple steps back.

“I… um…”

“Aladdin!”

They all looked down the hall as someone spoke up. The young boy rushing- no, sprinting as fast as he could to the man’s arms as the figure came down the hall. Any trouble that the other had had written on his face and any fear was now gone, replaced with a warm embrace for the man. “Judal! I thought I had lost you!”

“Lost me? I was gone for five minutes and the old hag is telling me that you ran off.”

“I had to pee.” Aladdin smiled up at him sheepishly only to earn a groan.

“There’s a bathroom in my office, a very good one at that.” Judal’s arms held Aladdin a little closer as Ja’far stood up, staring at the other in disbelief. Carmine eyes echoed the surprise, although they calmed down as he caught sight of Sinbad moving to the other’s side.

“Judal Magi. It’s been a while,” Sinbad greeted.

“Something like that.”

“Have you eaten anything yet?” Aladdin looked up at the other and frowned. “You have to be hungry.”

“I’m more tired than hungry. Are you needing some-“

“You both could come have lunch with Sinbad and myself,” Ja’far offered. Aladdin looked back at him before he cuddled closer to Judal, holding onto him tight.

“Lunch with you both?” Judal looked at them a bit skeptically before Sinbad stepped forward, nodding. “Absolutely, Ja’far and I would love to have you both join us for lunch.”

“Ja’far?” Aladdin repeated the name, looking up at Judal once more before Ja’far nodded.

“That’s my name. It’s very nice to meet you, Aladdin.” He held out his hand, but Aladdin didn’t take it.

“…Don’t take my Jasmine from me,” Aladdin demanded quietly, hugging Judal tightly.

The adviser’s gaze immediately flew to Sinbad. The urge to laugh at the reference was almost too much to bear. Even Judal got that, rolling his eyes and ruffling the boy’s hair in bemusement. “Damn it, brat. How many times do I have to tell you I’m not a girl?”

Aladdin looked up at Ja’far though, not trusting him until Ja’far nodded. Climbing to one knee, he took on a serious face and spoke directly to Aladdin. “I will not take Judal from you. I promise.”

“Oh dear God,” Judal covered his scarlet face with one hand, frowning heavily as Aladdin smiled a little bit towards Ja’far.

“Good.”

“I would never take anyone away. That character stole his name from me. It doesn’t mean I’m a bad person at all. I hope I’m nothing like that man. Sadly, it makes people very nervous when they hear my name.”

“Aladdin, I have work-“

Judal was cut off as Aladdin replied to Ja’far, moving away from Judal for a moment to hug him. “That’s okay. Sometimes people are mean and there’s nothing we can do to change that. At least there are good people. We just need to hold onto them and not let anyone cruel come and take them away.” He let go after just a second, moving to take a hold of Judal’s hand again and grinning up at him.

“I really can’t take my eyes off you for a minute, can I,” Judal complained.

“Just take me with you and you won’t have to.”

“You got to come to work with me. I’m not letting you sit around in my meetings while I present and listen to others. You need to wait in my office for me and not go running around all over the place.”

“Can we have lunch soon?”

“We’ll have lunch when those two want to have lunch. They’ll set it up with Kougyoku.”

“We’ll never have lunch with her planning it!”

“Sin,” Ja’far called softly, dragging the man’s attention away from the duo walking away. The adviser looked over at him and bit his lip, smiling despite his best attempts not to. “That’s the kind of thing I want right there. A relationship that’s built so much on trust that just seeing me would have them running into my arms. God, that was so precious… he gave me a hug and asked me to not steal his ‘Jasmine’.”

“Ja’far, you’re getting very stirred up over someone else’s child.”

“How does he of all people get a kid? He’s arrogant and rude as they come, unable to even wait for his interview with our company like most others did.”

“How many times do you think Judal’s played as Jasmine for pretend games with Aladdin?” Sinbad grinned, imagining it already in his mind’s eye.

“Oh, probably many times.”

“There you both are!” A voice had them both turning to find themselves meeting with Kouha. “I thought you had both gotten lost in the traffic or security. Sinbad, I see you have figured out how pants work today.”

Ja’far covered his face as Sinbad laughed, nodding before starting up his conversation.

~

“Why would they invite us to join them for lunch,” Judal asked again as he shut the door to his office and looked over at Aladdin.

“Why not?”

“They don’t like me, brat. They never allow me to interview with them, they never ask to see more documents or give me the time of day.”

“I heard them in the bathroom. Ja’far really wants a kid.” Aladdin moved to pick up his tablet, turning it on and playing with it again. He hummed a little bit before he felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders, making him jump a bit as the other laughed.

“So we’re invited because they know I’m friendly?” Judal chuckled.

“I think so…”

“You’re a damn good luck charm, Chibi.”

“I am?”

“Absolutely.”

“Can we fuck-“

“Ah, no no. I still need you to work all afternoon. I need you to help give a good impression for those two idiots. Okay?”

Aladdin nodded.


	12. Chapter 12

Aladdin found himself loving this more and more when lunch time came. Although the other had seemed adamant on his image, the adoration thrown his way was addictive. He had never felt so wanted before. The fact that Judal had put his work down, work that he had been getting after Kougyoku about for over a half hour, just to come and wrap his arms around him and look at the work he was doing on the tablet, commenting and smirking a bit when he got things right.

“I think this is the answer?”

“You catch on a lot faster than I thought.”

Aladdin beamed at him as a knock came to the door. Ja’far peeked in, smiling brightly as he caught sight of them on the couch. “Are you both getting ready to go?”

“We lost track of time. Hold on,” Judal stood up, stretching a bit as the other two came in. Sinbad was laughing from talking to Kougyoku in the hallway. Ja’far though was much more focused. He walked over and looked over Aladdin’s shoulder as well, frowning as he caught sight of Aladdin’s writing on the tablet.

“…tu parle française? “

“Hmm?” Those words sounded so familiar to him. It was without a pause that Aladdin replied to him. The words coming out more natural than when he had been reading and writing or even speaking with Judal and everyone. Ja’far’s eyes widened as Sinbad even whistled.

“I did not see that coming.”

“You’re very fluent, Aladdin.” Ja’far shook his head. “You lived somewhere that had fluent French speakers before coming to live with Judal?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“I could tell,” Ja’far looked over at Judal and smiled at the other’s frown. “He’s probably not used to English, is he?”

“Not particularly. We’ve been having a time of it.”

“You should get him some French books, maybe a French to English dictionary. I bet he would learn a lot faster that way. The tablet was a smart idea though. I’m very impressed with the homeschooling activities. It’s very noble of you to want to make sure that he gets close attention and a very hands on education.”

“I just want to be sure that we aren’t running around in circles with things. With Aladdin speaking mostly French, it’s more convenient for him to learn with me rather than in a classroom where he would be placed in Special Education.” Judal leaned against his desk and crossed his arms. “We were going to head to lunch though?”

“Of course!” Ja’far smiled brightly, looking towards Aladdin. “Are you all set to go, Aladdin?”

“Yes!”

“Allons-y,” Ja’far replied, making Aladdin smile a bit more before he felt Judal’s hand wrap around his own. For once it wasn’t him going for the other’s hand. The pursued was doing the pursuing. It was such a nice change. Aladdin laced their fingers together and smiled more, feeling the other’s tension in his grip and leaning against him as they headed out of the room.

His master was the best. No matter how nice these other people were.

Judal’s arm wrapped around his shoulders after a minute, holding him close as they headed out of the building and back onto the skywalk. The hallway had the sun pouring in, filling the hallway with light and heat.

“We’re planning to just go to a small place nearby if you both don’t mind,” Sinbad told them as he walked ahead with Ja’far. “It shouldn’t be that far to walk if you both don’t mind walking.”

“We would love to,” Aladdin piped up, smiling more as the two in front of them smiled back.

“Aladdin,” Judal looked down at him before Aladdin paused.

“We’ve been in your office all morning. It will be fun to walk instead of riding around in your car.”

Judal rolled his eyes a minute before pulling him behind him. He knelt down a bit and offered his back. “Come on, you’ve been looking around at everything so much that if I let you walk, you’ll end up running into a building trying to look at everything around you.”

“Ah-Are you sure?”

“Don’t have all day,” Judal didn’t have to repeat himself though. Aladdin climbed onto the other’s back and wrapped his arms around his shoulders without pause. The other’s hair smelled fantastic, his body warm and inviting with that small cologne smell. Aladdin rested his head against Judal’s as they walked, noting that the other two were laughing at them a little before striking up a conversation.

They didn’t seem to be able to hold a good conversation with Judal though. Judal would like one thing, like guns or certain things of the fighting sort, then the other two would disagree. He was the sun and they were the moon. He was more open about his very strange opinion and ways, and the other two were so guarded that it was hard to tell what they thought. 

Conversation always stopped when he pointed something out or asked to have something explained though. Sometimes he would point to obvious things just to get the conversation to die. When he did, he could feel Judal lean his head a little closer to he would feel Judal’s hands stroke his leg a bit in appreciation of his work.

Sinbad and Ja’far really liked to explain things too. No matter what it was, they always were eager to tell him how this or that worked. Sometimes Ja’far would even go so far as to speak that French language. It wasn’t like he always understood though. What little he knew was not getting him far, although Ja’far didn’t seem to know the language all that well either. Sometimes when he had a blank face, the man would stop, thinking before he would correct himself.

It couldn’t have been any later when they reached the little restaurant, walking in to locate a small table near the window.

“Aladdin, did you see that they have a collection of Disney things behind the bar?”

“Hmm? They do?” Aladdin looked over immediately, listening as Ja’far pointed them out.

“-And they have Donald right there. Have you been a fan of Disney films for a long time?”

“No, actually, I had never seen them before I came to live with Judal! He has a whole box of films, but Aladdin is my favorite.”

“I bet,” Ja’far laughed a bit as he rested his chin in his hand. “I would find a movie to be my favorite if it had the same name as me.”

“They would probably mess up and make Ja’far the bad guy again though.”

“They have some movies after me as well. Great guy, Sinbad,” Sinbad told them, making Ja’far roll his eyes. “It’s true, Ja’far!”

“Oh don’t-“

“Sinbad the sailor, conqueror of the seven seas!”

“Which seven,” Aladdin asked, making Ja’far and Judal both choke on their drinks from starting to laugh. Sinbad frowned a bit.

“Which seven? Let’s see here. I have conquered the sea of Kalah, the sea of Fars, the sea of Sanji-“

“I think you’re making up names,” Aladdin sang, making the other two laugh a bit before Sinbad glared at him playfully.

“You wanna place a bet on that?”

“Hmmm…”

“Go for it, Aladdin. I don’t think I have been to the sea of Fars or the sea of Nears,” Ja’far told him.

“I think I’m good. I don’t need to bet with you.” Aladdin smiled at Sinbad just a bit more before he leaned against Judal and yawned. “I’m kind of tired still.”

“Geez, you have been sleeping plenty today. At this rate you are going to be awake all night.” Judal set him upright again and pushed the water towards him. “Drink up, Chibi. I’m expecting you to go to bed ontime and not be sneaking around to play this evening.”

“Ah, rebel didn’t want to stop playing games?” Sinbad chuckled. “I used to be the same way.”

“I’m sure Aladdin isn’t sneaking out to play with his little girlfriends though,” Ja’far drawled. “Behave yourself, Sin.”

“Judal, your hair is coming undone.” Aladdin smiled up at him as the two began to bicker, catching the raven haired man’s attention.

“Is it?”

“Yep. Let me fix it.”

“I can do it later. It does-“

“I want to fix it.” Aladdin pulled his hair into hand and began to undo the ties, setting them next to their plates as he ran his fingers through Judal’s hair.

“Aladdin, don’t leave those on the table.”

“They’ll just be there for a minute or so,” Aladdin argued, running his hands through the other’s hair more. It was so soft. He couldn’t get over it. He wanted to wrap his arms around his master and be held again. He couldn’t seem to help himself. Perhaps it was just his destiny to be overly attached to his master. Judal didn’t seem to mind, leaning over towards him and yawning.

“They’re taking too long. I don’t know what will happen first, you finishing fixing my hair or the food to come. Wake me up when either happens.” He was going to squish him with the way he was leaning over. Aladdin balked a bit as the other pressed down on him a bit.

“Ah! Judal! I can’t hold you! I need you to sit up or I can’t fix your hair.”

“Too tired. Wake me up later. It’s my turn to take a nap.”

“I can’t carry you back to work though!” Aladdin pushed at him to sit up, listening to the other snicker at him and his hands move to tickle him. Immediately he was squirming, laughing hard for a minute or two before the waitress was back at the table, asking about what they wanted to eat as she set breadsticks down.

They ordered, or more Judal ordered for him, but Aladdin didn’t mind that as he listened to the other three talk. He focused on playing with Judal’s hair. He wasn’t sure how the other got his hair to look like a bunch of balls… It was weird.

He scrunched the hair up a bit, noting that Ja’far was watching him again, but he ignored him. Instead deciding to just twist parts of the hair around one another and just call it good. He frowned at his first attempt though. The second attempt looked like he was going to get it stuck tied up. He undid it again, carefully since he noticed that he was messing up the hair worse than it had been originally.

How did he…

Judal’s hands covered his, pulling the hair away as he spoke to Sinbad. His hands were weaving the hair into a braid before he was pulling ties into hand, tying it into its former state. Within a minute he had it done and the braid was back behind him. Aladdin found himself turned around as Judal and Sinbad spoke, his hair pulled into the other’s hands as he was talking. Those hands were running through his hair in such a way that it felt like he was getting some kind of massage. He closed his eyes and leaned into the other’s touch.

“I am planning to make a company in more of the intelligence area,” Sinbad was telling Judal.

“Intelligence in stealth?”

“No, more in the sector of intelligence within the nation. We’re wasting money building outside a country for a war in a whole difference place in the world. Wars don’t bring money unless you aren’t in them and we’re as far in these wars as we can be. We need to think about focusing our efforts towards bettering the country we live in. We’re talking about building arms for fighting not terrorists, but deer. We’re talking about advertising better handling of weapons and finding and shutting down these private businesses like the black market and everything that we have that’s wrong in this country and others. Life’s not perfect anywhere, but having someone out there making a difference in one person’s life would help. Changing one person’s future from a life in chains to a life in the real world is a hell of an accomplishment.”

“It sounds like charity work.”

“They’re overall goals I would like to have accomplished. I think the primary focus would be arms for American citizens since we’re so inclined to have our right to bear arms.”

“So it’s another weapon company.”

“I want it more focused towards safety and family than these other com- I don’t know,” Sinbad ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I want it to be not far from what we’re doing now, but I don’t want it to be about war and all that. The last thing this country needs is another military feeding company. We need a company providing a family front. I want a company that gives a damn about what’s happening in the country and not give a crap about what’s happening elsewhere. I want isolationism in this one.”

Judal shook his head. “That’s stupid. You should just continue with the business ideas you have.”

“They’re not going to make a difference to a world at war with one another. They’re so eager to point out differences. Two people can’t be happy if they aren’t family anymore. It’s always judgment based on where they’re from or what color skin they have. I want a company that’s all about acceptance and spreading that attitude.”

“You’re going to go broke.”

“I disagree.”

Aladdin leaned back as the other finished and pressed against Judal’s side as the other shook his head at the man. He didn’t seem to be in the mood anymore. If anything, he seemed to be angry. Aladdin looked over at Ja’far, seeing that the other was noticing the change as well.

“Ah, Juju.” Aladdin looked up at him and smiled sheepishly. “I think you forgot your phone at work.”

“Hmm?” judal felt his pocket a second after Aladdin slipped the phone from it, grimacing more as he noted it was gone. “Oh shit. I have a meeting soon too.”

“when’s the meeting,” Sinbad asked, frowning.

“I have my meeting in- Well soon actually. I hadn’t noticed the time again.”

“I will stay with Sinbad and Ja’far if you want to go back without me.”

“I should take you back with me.” Judal pressed a hand to his forehead for a minute before Ja’far spoke up.

“Nonsense. It might be good to have him out of your office for a while anyway. You can head back and we’ll bring him back after lunch. Don’t worry about your food. We’ll have it boxed for you if you would like.”

“Are you sure?”

Aladdin forced his anxiety about people to be calmed a bit as he smiled at Judal. “I will be on my best behavior.”

Judal moved to stand up, leaning over to press his lips to Aladdin’s forehead, his hand reaching down to steal his phone back. “You better be, brat. I don’t want to hear that you ended up making a mess of the restaurant when I see you in a bit.” He pulled his wallet out and handed Aladdin his credit card. “Have the bill split in half and bring my card back to me, alright?”

“Got it!” The place where Judal’s lips had touched was burning, feeling like a big sign displaying the other’s caring for him. He couldn’t help but to feel himself smile more, his whole day made by that moment. Here, in front of everyone, the other had shown that he liked him- no, loved him. 

Judal headed towards the door before the other two shrugged.

“Must not be that great of a secretary if she’s scheduling his meetings close together like that,” Sinbad remarked.

Aladdin put the card in his pocket before he nodded. “I don’t like her. She’s really mean and gets after Judal and I all the time.” Aladdin couldn’t help but to feel himself still smiling from that kiss. He wanted to hurry after the other, but he had said he would stay with these two.

“I’m sure she does her job adequately enough.” Ja’far smiled at Aladdin once more and resumed their conversation about animated films, making Aladdin get excited more about going to the park with these characters and seeing more of these movies. Sinbad didn’t mind joining in either, giving his favorites and talking about places around the area that were really cool to visit.

“Aladdin, is it fun to live with Judal? He seems like he’s really stressed,” the adviser sounded worried, but Aladdin could only smile at him.

“It’s great! He kind of has a small snore and he’s really mean about going to bed, but otherwise I’ve liked living with him.”

“Judal snores,” Sinbad laughed. “You should hear Ja’far snore. It sounds like someone left a little pig in the bedroom- but it’s a cute adorable snore and I love it to pieces, hey look! Food!” Sinbad smiled and motioned towards the returning waitress, earning still a very furious look from Ja’far as Aladdin felt his mouth water at the sight of the food.

The box for Judal’s food wasn’t necessary; Aladdin ate it before Ja’far paid for the entire meal. Judal’s card remained firmly in Aladdin’s pocket, being gripped as they walked out a while later, laughing as Sinbad did impressions of actors for them both.

“Surely Judal wouldn’t mind if we kept you that much longer,” Ja’far offered, making Aladdin shake his head fast.

“Nooo! I need to get back! Judal will be worried about me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! We should hurry back.”

“We could go to a zoo-“

“Judal, please.”

Sinbad rolled his eyes and pulled Aladdin along. “Come on, then. Let’s get you back to your dad before you make Ja’far cry.”

“You can hold my hand when we cross the road though, Aladdin.” Ja’far moved to his other side and Aladdin rolled his eyes before letting go of Sinbad to hold Ja’far’s hand.

At least he wasn’t as eager to please as this guy.


	13. Chapter 13

Judal was cursing down the sidewalk, across the roads, up into the building, and all the way back to his office. Of course he would want to switch to a rival company that was being stupid. Of all things, a ‘family oriented’ and ‘peace-keeping’ company. Why the hell would he want to join anything like that?!

What a stupid idea to be transferring over to their company.

“Judal, where have you been?” Kouha bounced over from his desk as Judal walked in and took off his sunglasses.

“Out. I needed some air and ended up walking beside idiots.”

“Where’s your little friend? I wanted to visit with him too. Kougyoku said he was snoozing in here all morning.” Kouha looked around Judal, as though the boy would be walking with him.

“He’s with those idiots. Apparently they’re going to have lunch. Works for me, I guess. It gives me time to not have to have him nipping at my ankles.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Kouha leaned back on the desk as Judal walked around and sat down. “He’s not really… well… he might get you into a bit of trouble.”

“He’ll be fine. If his face when I did his hair was any indication, then I should probably see him back in my office in about ten minutes or so. Depends on how fast he can eat and get away from the mommy wannabe.”

“Well, I suppose that’s all well and good anyway.” Kouha spun around on the top of the desk, resting his legs on either side of Judal’s lap and scooting forward. “That means I can have you all to myself. I’m very eager to see what he’s been teaching you. You tasted very salty in the car and that was just precum.”

“How about we focus on war.”

“There’s a war going on right now in the South that we can fight and solve right now,” Kouha leaned down, wrapping his arms around Judal’s shoulders. “Tell me, Judal, have you even been dominated before? I know all the fun games we can play.”

“Oh my fucking God, please tell me you aren’t going to-“

“We got time, no boy wandering into your office any time soon. I’ve got Kougyoku keeping a lookout.”

“You know,” Judal smirked, pushing himself up a bit, hands running across Kouha’s thighs, “I know a great game we can play. I know just how you can take care of that problem in the south. It’s the same way I handle my Chibi’s little problem.”

“How cute, you call him Chibi.” Kouha leaned closer, expecting their lips to press together. Instead Judal grabbed him by the waist, hauling him over his shoulder towards his private bathroom. He sat him down on the toilet seat and clambered out of the room, shutting the door and holding it shut.

“You can come out when you’ve resolved your own problems just like Chibi does.”

“Judal! This wasn’t what I wanted!”

“Remember to clean up after yourself. I don’t like messes.”

“Judal!”

Judal returned to his desk though, calling Kougyoku into the office to talk to for a while until Kouha climbed out of the bathroom quietly. He flashed a happy smile towards his relative before heading out of the room.

When the door shut, Kougyoku looked over at him excitedly. “So what happened with Sinbad  and his adviser?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?!”

“Apparently they’re going to make a family oriented, in country based weapons corporation. They’re probably going to focus on working hand and hand with the federal and state governments or something stupid like that. It’s a bunch of shit if you ask me. I’d rather be where I am now.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! You would rather be here with the snakes than with them? Sinbad’s such a heartthrob though. He’s been on the cover of Forbes magazine and you should have seen his interview with Oprah. It was such an eye opener towards the internal struggle of America. He saved that adviser from a life of misery then they got reunited just when he needed someone to save him financially.”

“…Do you have some kind of thing for him?”

“No! I just pay attention to the enemies of the company, that’s all.” She huffed, turning around as the sound of running came from outside the room. Aladdin rushed into the room, hurrying over around the desk and into his arms. Those arms wrapped around him tightly, making it hard to breathe.

“What the hell, brat?”

“Stranger hugged me in the hallway.”

“Hey! What’s the matter,” Kouha walked in, frowning after Aladdin. “Judal, your friend doesn’t like me.”

“I need vacation again,” Judal pressed Aladdin closer so he could have more arm space. His papers were collected and shoved into Kougyoku’s arms before he stood up, walking Aladdin over to Kouha. “Aladdin. Kouha. Kouha, you remember Aladdin.”

“See, Judal and I are friends.”

Aladdin didn’t let go of Judal though. If anything his gaze narrowed at Kouha. “…You are wearing Judal’s smell.”

“What did he say?” Kougyoku frowned, making Judal tense.

“Chibi, you’re imagining things. Old Hag, check stock for me.”

Kougyoku shook her head, almost running into Sinbad and Ja’far as she walked out. Her smile towards the man was bright, the blush on her face hidden quickly behind the papers she had in hand as the two walked into his office.

“Aladdin ran off, are you alright?”

“Everyone is just having a field day in my office today. Kouha, we will talk later. You both,” Judal motioned at Sinbad and Ja’far, “I appreciate you taking Aladdin to lunch, but I don’t think there is much more to discuss.”

“I see…” Kouha smiled, ruffling Aladdin’s hair before he gave a sly grin towards the two men. “I hope your stay in our building was enjoyable, gents. We don’t allow visitors to wander around with no clearance. We’re a weapons company after all.”

“Ju-“

“Aladdin, are you alright?” Ja’far moved closer as Kouha left, kneeling down and smiling towards the boy. “You panicked pretty badly when he grabbed you from behind.”

“I don’t like him.”

“That’s alright. Should we tell Judal about my offer for this weekend?”

“Oh right!” Aladdin smiled sheepishly up at Judal. “Ja’far said that there’s a dinner thing going on with a friend of theirs in their company that’s graduating to be a professional hockey person.”

“We’re busy tonight,” Judal replied.

“It’s this weekend on Saturday. We were actually hoping that you and Aladdin would like to join us. Masrur’s got a little girl that’s being homeschooled as well. It might be nice for both Aladdin and little Morgiana to be friends,” Sinbad smiled. “I’m hosting the event so it would be at my house.”

“I will have to check my schedule.”

“Of course,” Sinbad pulled out a card and pen, writing the address and time down before handing it to Judal. “Besides being about Masrur, it’s a nice way to unwind after a week of working on guns and deals. We’re going to have heads of various companies there as well. It’s just going to be a nice send off. “

“We’ll make sure to have some juice out for you too, Aladdin,” Ja’far smiled over at him, earning a small smile in return.

“Hopefully we won’t be too busy,” Aladdin replied, holding onto Judal’s side a bit more.

“I regret not interviewing you now, you’ve come a long way from that day you barged into the company headquarters.” Sinbad held out his hand, having to wait a good minute or two before Judal took it.

“Yeah…”

A phone started to go off, making Sinbad hurry for his phone. “Hello? …Solomon! What’s wrong? What do you mean your son is missin- are you serious? Hold on, I’m heading to my car now with Ja’far. We’ll be at my office in ten to twenty minutes. Don’t move.”

“Sin!” Ja’far hissed at the other as Sinbad continued to talk to the man on the phone.

The door shut behind them before Judal looked down at Aladdin.

“…Why did Kouha smell like you?”

“Because I picked him up and shoved him in my bathroom. Apparently no one is capable of taking care of their own problems today.”

“You didn’t do anything, did you?” Those blue eyes looked up at him, wide as could be before Judal rolled his eyes.

“Of course not. He’s my boss. I would never be able to do anything on my own if I did that.”

“Good,” Aladdin murmured, hugging him close.

“We, however, need to have a talk.” He grabbed that little braid and yanked the boy to his couch, shoving him onto it and glaring down at him. “You speak French. Since when do you speak any language fluently?”

“I don’t know it that well,” Aladdin replied, stroking his braid to get the loose strands down. “I don’t really remember learning it.”

“You know it though.”

“I guess. I just knew what-“

“Do you know it better or worse than English?”

“Worse… Better? I know it better in writing. Ja’far showed me the writing on his phone and I knew what it said. He spoke it though and I only knew a little of what was said.”

“Shit…” There went the idea of having him just learn more French and maybe just have a dictionary to translate to English. “Where did you life before you were with the slave traders?”

 “I don’t know.”

“Think harder.”

“I don’t know!”

“Aladdin, I need you to think har-“

Aladdin shook his head, wincing more as Judal began to raise his voice. “I don’-“

“That answer isn’t good enough! You remember something. You clearly knew French before you were taken. Are you European or Canadian?”

“I don’t-“

“Chibi! I want an-“

“I don’t know! I don’t know!” The boy’s face was turning red, being hidden behind his knees as Judal glared at him. “I don’t remember anything. I remember a woman speaking French to me and I remember it’s all my fault I ended up being with the traders. I don’t know what happened before that. I just know it’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”

“Why is it your fault?”

“It’s just all my-“

“WHY!?”

“I WENT WITH THEM! They said I could see my daddy if I went with them. I wanted to see my dad and they said they were friends with him! They knew my mom wasn’t nice and they said that I wouldn’t have to go back,” his voice began to rise more and more as he told Judal that.

“Who’s your dad?”

“I don’t remember,” the boy curled up more on the couch, hiding his face into the couch. “Please don’t take me back to any of those people from before. I don’t want to go back. I’ll behave, but don’t send me back.”

That was probably as much as he could push the kid. He would end up with someone calling the police on him if he made Aladdin sob uncontrollably. “Hey, Chibi,” Judal sat down next to him, pulling the boy over to him and holding him close. “You think I just buy shit for people I send back? You’re stuck with me so stop getting worked up and remember more for me, got it? I can’t help you if I don’t know anything about you.”

“You don’t need to help me. I will help you.”

“I don’t need help.”

“You weren’t able to talk that much with Sinbad and Ja’far though.”

“I don’t need to. I don’t want to go work for them like they think I want to. They’re idiots.”

“They were really nice,” Aladdin smiled a bit as he wiped his face a bit. He pulled the credit card from his pocket and handed it back to Judal. “You said you wanted this back too.”

“Mhmm. I was supposed to get lunch from you too.”

“I ate it,” Aladdin murmured, looking apologetic.

“Figures that’s what would happen. I suppose it was probably pretty expensive too.”

“Ja’far paid for lunch. He wouldn’t let me use your card.”

“I see.” At least that wasn’t one bill he would have to hunt after to balance his check book with.

“Can I help you with anything right now? If you need anything turned into French, I can translate it for you.”

“We’re done for the day. We’re going to head home.”

“Already?”

“It’s early, but I finished work while you and those two idiots were eating.” Silence greeted him at that statement, making him frown to look down at the boy. “Chibi?”

“…Can you..um…”

“Can I what?”

“…ss my…”

“I don’t listen to mumblers, Chibi.”

“Can you kiss me again?” Aladdin looked up at him, smiling a bit as he asked. “I really liked that.”

“No, you don’t need kissing. Get your things and put them in your bag. We’re going to leave.”

“Will you kiss me in the car?”

“No.”

“When we get home?”

Judal stood up and headed towards his desk to pack things up for the evening. “No, I’m not kissing you at home.”

“Will you kiss me in front of people again?”

“No.”

“Can I get a ride again,” Aladdin held his bag slung across his shoulder, waving his arms for the other to come over and bend down.

“I’m thinking not.”

“Jugemu!”

“Chibi. Let me get this straight with you. I was making a good impression today because they were possible new bosses, however, they aren’t now because their plans for the future are entirely wrong and will lead them to bankruptcy.  Therefore, you are not getting kissed and you have two legs so you are walking on your own feet.”

“Well that’s rude.”

“I tend to be that way.” Judal leaned down to find his car keys in his desk. They had to be somewhere in the mess.

The more he looked, the more he couldn’t find them though.

“Juju…”

“I’m finding my car keys and then we’re leaving, brat.”

“Ju-“

“Car keys!”

The other made a loud huff, walking over to the desk and slamming the drawer shut. He held up Judal’s hand and jingled the keys. “They were in your hand, jerk. I could have told you that if you weren’t intent on ignoring me.”

“…Good vocab.”

“I was practicing and listening to everyone else today.”

“…Yeah, well… Let’s go then.”

“Judal,” Aladdin glared up at him.

“Oh no. I’m not thanking you.” Judal crossed his arms. “You were just not even five minutes ago begging me to keep you and now you think you can boss me around?”

“No.”

“No what? No, you weren’t begging or no, you aren’t bossing me around?”

“I don’t want to boss you around, but I want to at least get a hug. My butt still hurts really bad and I have hid that fact all day because I think that everyone would have been really upset about it.”

“You think I should reward covering up things that are your own fault?”

“Well no, but-“

“You think that getting my gratitude is going to make that much of a difference? You should live for yourself, idiot. Don’t let others control you.”

“…”

“See, letting others tell you what to do means that they can do whatever they want, even if you know it isn’t the right thing or even if you want to do something else. That’s why I don’t let Kouha do what he wants. No one tells me what to do.”

Aladdin was still quiet, looking up at him for a minute before he motioned for Judal to bend down.  Judal moved to be at equal height, frowning at the other’s motioning. His face moved closer, his brows furrowed in a deeper frown.

Aladdin cupped his face and pressed his lips to the man’s, his tongue immediately running along Judal’s lower lip. Judal went to pull back when he felt the other’s legs wrap around his waist, clinging to his chest to keep against him. His tongue slipped into his mouth, making him stumble into his seat. He couldn’t breathe around the boy’s mouth, only able to feel that warmth back against his lips again and again. The boy would pull back for only a moment’s breath, then he was back against his lips. He tried to bite Aladdin’s tongue, but Aladdin pulled back just as he was going to.

His head rested against him after a minute, arms wrapped around his shoulders. “…I know… I wasn’t supposed to do that, but you kissed me first and when I smelled Kouha smelling like you, I couldn’t help it. You can hit me if you want, but I just really wanted to know that you still wanted me.”

“…”

Aladdin looked up at him and shook his head. “I really love you, Judal.”

“W-Where the hell did you hear that word?”

“Hmm?”

“Who told you what love is?”

“No one did. I heard Sinbad use it today to describe things he felt really strongly about.” Aladdin nuzzled against Judal’s chest more. “I really love you though.”

“Stop saying that.”

“I do though.”

“Stop, Chibi.”

“Hey, Judal?”

“No.”

“I love you.”

And so began Aladdin’s favorite phrase. Judal heard it murmured at him all the way down the hallway to the skywalk, all the way to the car, from there all the way to the drive thru for the fast food place for tonight, all the way home, into the house, all throughout dinner: Aladdin kept bringing it up. Sometimes he would just say it. Sometimes he would add ‘very’ or ‘really’ to his statement. He was so passionate and serious about it. Every time it was murmured, Judal could feel his stomach flip. His palms had begun to sweat against the steering wheel in the car. He had almost ran a stop sign. He had nearly hit the car in front of them in the drive thru. He had ran into the garage door in an attempt to hurry into the house. He had sat down on the toilet with his pants still on.

“Aladdin stop!”

“I’m just telling y-“

“You’ve told me a thousand times today!”

“What do I have to do to get you to stop saying it,” he whined to the bathroom door as Aladdin stood on the other side.

“Can I sleep with you?”

“Define sleep.”

“I want a goodnight kiss too.”

“If you actually sleep, then maybe.”

“Jugemu~!”

“I AM TRYING TO PEE!”

“Do you need anything?”

“YES! I NEED TO BE LEFT ALONE!”

“I’ll be in our room!”

Our room? What the hell? Judal tossed the spare toilet paper roll at the door, glaring at it for a full minute before he carried on with his business. When had he started sharing his room with the brat? He had his own damn room in the house. It was right down the hall. It wasn’t even five meters from his own room. Why couldn’t he just sleep in his own bed?

_“I don’t like to be alone!”_

Judal frowned as he thought about what he knew about the kid.

Alright, so the kid was a French/English speaker. He was persuaded away from his mother who was a French speaker. Father was away, which meant he was either a two job worker or a business person. Or divorced. Divorced would explain why Aladdin hadn’t seen the man. The fact that Aladdin didn’t know much about reading and writing meant that he was most likely taken at a young age.

He needed to start doing some research.

“Jugemu!”

“It’s Judal! If you are going to call me by any name, then it better be my own!” He stalked towards his bedroom, opening the door to see the boy snuggled under the blankets with some fruit from the kitchen in a bowl next to him. Another cartoon movie in hand, he waved for the man to come over and lay with him.

“We’re going to watch this movie. It has a neat cover.”

“Alice in Wonderland?”

“Yeah, it looks like a cool movie. The animal on the cover has the same smile you get when you are planning things.”

“Alright, but then it’s bed time.”

“I’m alright with that. Come here though!”

“I’m coming. Be patient, you little shit.” The boy practically hovered to his side after he put the movie in and curled up in bed. Feeling Aladdin nuzzle into his arms, wearing one of his shirts again, he noted with disdain; he couldn’t help but to wonder if he should get some advice about this shit.

 


	14. Chapter 14

Judal was the best at cuddling in Aladdin’s opinion. He loved waking up in the middle of the night and feeling Judal’s arms wrapped around his body, holding him close. He loved the smell of Judal, the feel of his hair tangled around his body. Sometimes Judal’s body would slide against his own some, making him feel like he was some precious gem for the other. So this was what it felt like to be cherished…

Aladdin couldn’t help himself, snuggling closer and murmuring the other’s name before he drifted back to sleep. They should do this more often. He could behave himself a bit more and try to get close to his guardian this way. Things were much more pleasing in this manner anyway. He liked being kissed in public and curling up to watch movies together. The baths together were nice and warm. Truly, he couldn’t ask for anything in the world to make such moments better. Life was sweet and wonderful.

Just like his reality, his dreams were just a mass of him getting forehead kisses in public. He imagined Kougyoku getting all scared again as giant spiders chased after her and Kouha being sad because Judal told him that he was quitting because he wanted to spend more time with Aladdin. Such nice dreams…

So nice.

It was only a shame when Aladdin could feel the sun shining against his face. Reality had a nasty way of coming to force him to return. He rolled over, his face pressing against Judal’s pillow. The bed was…

Aladdin’s eyes opened immediately, his body moving up to look around for the man. Judal wasn’t in bed anymore. He scrambled to his feet, scampering to the door and throwing it open to run through the house. He stopped at the living area, seeing a person with their back turned, working at the stove. A bark came from their feet.

“What’s going on, Alibaba?” The woman turned around, smiling to Aladdin. “Good morning, sleepy head. Judal had to head to work so I’m here to watch over you until he comes back.”

“He’s not here?!” Aladdin paled, looking this way and that. His bag wasn’t behind the couch anymore. The bathroom was open. In a rush, Aladdin ran for the garage, throwing the door open and finding Judal’s car gone.

He had left him here.

All he could see what Kougyoku getting too close, or Kouha being really close and touching Judal at all…

He sniffled, feeling Alibaba walk over to his side and press his nose against him. The golden retriever looked up at him, those brown eyes waiting for some kind of response, but Aladdin just fell to his knees, sniffling a bit more. He wrapped his arms around the dog and felt himself feeling miserable already. Judal would be gone for hours.

“Al-Aladdin!” Anise hurried over, pulling him into her arms and wiping his tears away. “Aww, you aren’t used to being alone, are you? Come on, I have some food.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“nonsense. I don’t believe that for a second. Judal said you eat more than an army. I made some eggs and some toast. There’s a little bacon in the pan for you and I think if you cheer up a little bit, we could probably play fetch with Alibaba. He’s really good at bringing things back.”

“I don’t feel like it.”

“Oh come on, it’ll be fun.”

The boy seemed to be intent on crying though as far as Anise could tell. Aladdin’s face was reddening a bit, the tears flowing freely down his face.

“There’s nothing I can do to make you happy?”

Aladdin shook his head. “I was hoping to go with Judal again…”

“Hey, he can’t take you every day.” Anise bounced him up into her arms a bit more.

Something bounced, causing his eyes to drift down. “…what was that?”

“Hmm? You are familiar with breasts, aren’t you? I’m a bit well endowed.” She smiled as she led his hands to her breasts, letting them bounce a bit in his hands. Alibaba growled nearby, making her laugh. “Aww, and Alibaba is being a precious son.” She blew him a kiss before smiling to Aladdin’s intrigued expression.

“Do… do they always do this?”

“Yes, they do.”

Aladdin smiled a bit, still crying slightly, but there was something new for him to pay attention to for the moment. Judal was going to come back according to anise. It would be okay… just for a little bit…

“So did you have a nightmare last night, Aladdin?”

“Hmm?”

Anise smiled as she hauled him over to the table, settling him in Judal’s chair and bringing him some food. “I noticed that you were sleeping in the room with all Judal’s things.”

“I was hoping to sle- I mean… um…” Aladdin’s face turned a bit pink before Anise laughed.

“You wanted to sleep with Judal. That’s so cute. He might want to have a woman over or something though one of these days. You might have to get used to your own bed.”

“No, not that kind of sleep- nevermind.”

“What do you mean? You can’t mean you want to… well.”

Aladdin nodded at her as he stuffed some eggs into his mouth.

“Aladdin, he’s a little… he’s got a few years on you. It might be easier to just wait until you’re a little older and go after a cute girl. I bet if you worked hard and grew up and ate right, you could have any little girl’s heart.”

“I don’t want a little girl. I have Judal. It’s fine too. He likes me too.”

Anise settled into a nearby seat and frowned. “…he does?”

“Yeah, he bought me because he likes me.”

“Bought- Okay. You are going to have to explain things. I’m very confused. You aren’t related to him?” she stroked Alibaba’s head and poured some apple juice for Aladdin as Aladdin swallowed his food before speaking.

“I don’t know if I am allowed to tell you. It’s supposed to be a secret.”

“I can keep a secret.”

“Are you sure?” Aladdin looked at her seriously. “You can’t tell anyone. Alibaba can’t either.”

“I will make sure he keeps his snout shut.”

Aladdin nodded, looking around before he started to explain. “I am supposed to be a slave for Judal. I was sold to him by this really mean trader man to satisfy him, but Judal never wants that.”

“Little too fast still, Aladdin. Let’s go a little slower. You were sold?”

“Yes.”

“So Judal just bought you? You aren’t related to him at all?”

“No, not at all. He just found me and brought me home.”

“Hmm,” Anise frowned. “So you are here according to your seller to make Judal sexually happy?”

“Yes.” Aladdin smiled.

“Okay…”

“It’s okay though. He doesn’t want to do that. I had to almost force him the other night.” Aladdin shook his head and groaned. “I mean… I don’t know how to explain.”

“It’s okay. You don’t seem to be in any danger with him. If he makes you happy then that’s all that matters.” Anise rubbed his shoulder a bit before smiling brightly. “It doesn’t matter what kind of past you have. Just be happy with what you have now. Sometimes we have to go through horrible moments, but those pass. It’s good that you found someone like Judal who can take care of you. There are lots of less fortunate people and it’s very obvious that Judal at least is mellowing out from the man I met when he first moved in.”

“Was he that bad?”

“That bad? He tried to kick Alibaba and told me to leave him alone. He was the worst person I had ever met before you showed up. Seeing him show up on my doorstep this morning was precious. He looked about ready to bolt instead of asking me.”

“I could have stayed by myself…”

“It’s fine, Aladdin. I like being here with you. So did you get named Aladdin by those traders or-“

“I named myself.”

“It’s adorable. I think the name suits you. You’re your own little prince and Judal is really coming around for you.”

“You think so?” Aladdin smiled up at her, getting a kiss to the forehead before Anise nodded.

“Absolutely! However, if you really want to get with Judal like that, you need to take things slow. Sometimes you need to compromise. If he wants to go to work by himself, let him. You’ll have him all afternoon and you can listen to all his stories and make him feel better on hard days. Men like back rubs too. Or when they have headaches, sometimes it helps just to have someone wrap their arms around you.”

“Any more advice? You know a lot about this!”

Anise smiled, deciding against telling the boy about her prostitute occupation she had. “let me see here, have you finished breakfast yet?”

Aladdin looked at his plate before beginning to eat with a vigor.

She could only laugh, bringing him a second helping as he finished the first. The boy’s appetite was just as bad as Judal said it would be. The food she had made was gobbled down within the next few minutes. She settled on the couch with him soon enough, settling on her usual morning soap as Alibaba and Aladdin played with one another.

It seemed easy enough to watch them. Aladdin would occasionally look at the clock, telling her that Judal would have a meeting at this time or that it was getting close to lunch time. He had at least slept in a great deal so he didn’t have to wait that long. When one in the afternoon came, Aladdin was perched on the window bench with Alibaba at his feet, watching the neighborhood.

“Aladdin, I’m supposed to have you work on your tablet for a while. Judal said he was going to run a few errands before coming home and I need to work.”

“Okay…”

He didn’t move though.

“Aladdin~” Anise walked over to the boy, crossing her arms. “Am I going to have to use force to get you to study?”

“…I will be right over and work-“

She picked him up and carried him over to the couch, settling the tablet into his lap. “I will be right next door if you need me, okay? Remember not to answer the door to strangers or anything.”

“Ah! But miss Anise! I want to wat-“

“He’ll be home in about an hour or less. Give him some time, okay? He’ll be all yours all afternoon. Just behave yourself a little longer.” She pressed her lips to his forehead before heading for the door. “…You be sure he knows that he’s very lucky to have you in his life, alright?”

“I will!”

She smiled and left, heading with Alibaba at her side towards her home. Her client was already there, waiting at the doorstep with flowers in hand.

“I had some time,” he told her.

Anise smiled and opened the door, letting him in and ignoring her growling canine companion.

~

Judal parked in the garage later than usual, turning off his car before he cursed. He had gotten absolutely nothing done today. He had just been thinking about that brat all day. Half the day he had daydreamed in his office, the other half, he had been talking to Kouen or Kougyoku. Of course, the other two had not been helpful to him at all.

Kougyoku was telling him about the downfalls of children while Kouen asked him about the benefits of having children around.

“next time, I’m just going to smack the person who asks about Aladdin.” He opened the door to the main part of the house only to see a streak of blue hair zip over from the couch to hug him.

“Jugu,” Aladdin cheered. “I missed you!”

“Hey there, brat. What happened to Anise?”

“She had to work.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” He had always thought prostitutes worked at night though. He eyes caught sight of a paper on the fridge as he moved slowly into the house with Aladdin clinging to him and set his things down.

“So what did you two do today,” he asked as he grabbed the paper off the fridge.

“Not much,” Aladdin smiled. “She’s really nice.”

Judal nodded. “Yeah, seems that way. Go get dressed though, brat. You shouldn’t be running around in my shirt all day.”

Aladdin smiled brightly, nodding. “I like your shirt though. It smells like you and it’s really comfy.” He turned and headed to get dressed in his own clothes though. Judal read through the note Anise had left and felt his mood drop a bit more.

_Judal,_

_Be nice to Aladdin. He might be a slave, but he’s also a person. He’s also very lonely without you so make sure to give him a big kiss. He likes breasts, but he clearly loves you a whole lot more. I only had him grope me once and I had to lead his hands to my breasts._

_He’s going to be a little heartbreaker if you raise him right._

-           _Anise_

“Aladdin! YOU TOLD HER!”

Aladdin poked his head out of his room and nodded. “It’s okay! She’s going to keep our secret! She gave me a lot of really good advice today.”

“You told her though! Aladdin! Don’t make us in debt to everyone!”

“I’m not! You shouldn’t run away though! I was lonely this morning!” The boy frowned at him, straightening his shirt. “I really wanted to go with you.”

“You need to stay home and work on your writing and reading first.”

“I want to go with you.”

“Aladdin,” Judal growled at him.

“It’s fine. I’ll stay here. Anise and I will just talk-“

“Hold on, are you threatening to just chatter on with her about us?”

“No! We’re just going to talk and spend time together while you are at work.”

“Talk about what?”

“I don’t know. Whatever comes to mind.”

“…Aladdin-“

Aladdin moved across the room and hugged him, making Judal immediately tense. His eyes regarded the boy carefully as Aladdin nuzzled into his chest. “It’s fine. It’s fine. If you want to go to work, then Anise said that I should let you.”

“…okay…”

Those blue eyes looked up at him and that bright smile shone up at him, “when you come home, I can spend all the time I want with you, so you can go to work alone. Let’s have dinner though. I’m really hungry.”

 _Be still my beating heart,_ Judal thought to himself as he let the boy nuzzle into his chest some more.  _It would be better to be cool._

Even with that in mind though, his heart was still racing a bit fast in aggravation and admiration at the boy’s tenacity and loyalty to him. 


	15. Chapter 15

Waking up the next morning to his alarm clock, Judal looked down at the bed sheets around him. Aladdin’s little body was once more curled up against him. His arms were holding him tight. His hair splayed out across the sheets and pillows. Those dark lashes hid away those baby blues from looking up at him.

He moved slowly again, sliding Aladdin into his place once more and settling the sheets around him. This was his own room. He shouldn’t be sneaking anywhere. It was just-

Oh well. If it meant that Aladdin wasn’t going to be sneaking after him or anything, then it was fine.

He grabbed his clothes and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind himself and leaving the door shut so Aladdin could sleep. Maybe he could get lucky and have the boy sleep through his shift.

He shoved his pants on while he was in the kitchen, stuffing the ends of his dress shirt down as he waited for his toast. His tie hung loosely around his shoulders.

Something tugged his sleeve, making him look over his shoulder to find Aladdin standing behind him. Those blurry eyes looking up at him as he wiped an eye with one hand, “juju…”

“Go back to sleep.”

The other tugged him downwards again.

“Are you hungry or something? Tell me what-“

Aladdin’s hands went to his tie, tying it into place. It wasn’t done right nor was it done well, but Judal just shrugged his jacket on and turned the boy around, leading him back to their bedroom and settling the boy back under the covers. “Have a good day at work,” Aladdin murmured.

“Mhmm.”

“You should come back if you have a break.”

“I won’t.”

“Can I see you somehow?” Aladdin looked up at him a bit more, waking up a little bit more. This was not working. He needed to be leaving immediately.

“I will call the house, alright?” Judal tucked him under the covers and pointed to the phone on his nightstand. “Just pick up the phone when it rings, alright?”

“Okay.”

Judal nodded, watching the boy settle back under the blankets. “…and work on your studies again. I can’t have you getting anywhere by laying around all day and playing with the neighbor.”

“I will.”

“Bye, Aladdin,” Judal shut the door, running to the garage door and backing out quickly enough. The ride to work was so quiet. It was still strange. Perhaps he was in need of a new radio station to listen to. That might be the problem. It seemed like everything was just unwanted noise. The bands were starting to all kind of blend into the same sound.

The building was still dead at six in the morning. Kouha was on the desk of one of the younger workers, arms wrapped around her shoulders as he gave her a very intimate and ego boosting pep talk for the day. By the look on her face, she was hoping for a whole lot more from him. What a disappointment that would be. Hakuei handed him the stock numbers from the day before. Kougyoku was complaining to Kouen about Koumei sleeping in his office again. He filched her coffee from her desk as he walked passed.

Damn her and her faux coffee. He didn’t want her skim hazelnut and caramel mocha. He wanted a red eye or something with a kick to it. No need for sweetness this early.

He left her coffee on his office table before sliding into his seat.

There were four meetings today about the new type of gun they were developing. There was a gun show going on and a private meeting to plan for the state of California in a week. If things went well, they would be getting a foothold finally in the United States to rival against Sindrian Corporation.

“Judal, did you steal m- Damn it Judal! Get your own coffee!” Kougyoku grabbed her coffee as she walked in, sipping at it after a moment as she walked around his desk and looked over his shoulder.  “…so what’s the plans for today?”

“Survive, not give a crap, and then it’s peaches day in the market down the block.”

“Peach Wednesdays, of course.”

“I might sneak out to grab some while you’re working on some of my work,” he offered. “Promise to actually leave one on your desk for ya.”

“Liar. If you do, it’ll be because they’re bruised or rotten to the point where not even you will eat it.” Kougyoku shook her head, sipping her drink again. “Not bringing your little friend with you again?”

“He’s 13. I’m not going to have him riding my ankles while I try to work.”

“Shame, he was probably keeping you from doing stupid things while I am not in the room… like creating origami spiders to leave on my desk. Do you know how many you even made?”

“10.”

“There were nine of-“ she stopped, staring at him a moment before she shook her head, fuming. “You jerk. I’m going to cry if I find it today. I’m going to come in here and ruin everything on your desk. Then I’m going to clog your toilet and leave my makeup all over your towels. Then I might tell Kouha you sneak out for peaches on Wednesdays.” She turned on her heels, heading towards the door.

“Don’t go for any pens today, old hag.”

“Fuck you,” she replied, slamming the door behind herself.

He chuckled. There had only been nine spiders.

Finally some status quo though. The building was running like usual, with everyone busy as ever. Judal slipped some of his work under Koumei as the other remained in his office, sleeping. Kouen came by, but his visit was only to go over some things before they walked together to a meeting. The man seemed rather tense.

Whatever was going on there, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

Kouha once more was making rounds, but his visit was nothing more than a wave on the other side of the doorway as Judal watched Kougyoku leave after coming in to complain.

The piles of papers on his desk and the designs for weapons were going in and out of his office. It felt more like a crossing station than a desk. The papers came, got checked out, got scraped or approved, then left, never to be seen again.

It was around eleven in the morning when he kicked back in his desk and looked around his office. His mind was blank, having had the last thoughts for the day taken with his paperwork. With nothing else to think about, he thought about Aladdin.

He still had to call those two idiots to tell them that he was going to come with Aladdin.

He picked up his phone, pulling the business card out and dialing the number on it. The phone rang twice before-

“Sindrian Corporation, Ja’far speaking.” He didn’t sound like he necessarily wanted to be speaking, but he didn’t care about that. He was going to be anyway.

“Hello there, it’s Judal from Kou Corp. You invited Aladdin and I to Sinbad’s event on Saturday.”

“Ah! How are you both?” The tone of voice changed, sounding much more pleasant.

“We’re fine. Aladdin’s studying right now.”

“That’s good to hear. Did you both reach a decision about this weekend?”

“We did. We will actually be able to attend.”

“That’s great! I’m sure it will be nice for Aladdin to spend more time with someone around his age. Morgiana will be happy to have someone young there as well. It’s going to be a casual event so there’s no need to dress up. Sinbad’s going to have the pool open as well if Aladdin is in the mood to swim.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Have you given more thought to what Sinbad discussed? The new company idea?”

“I think it’s stupid still,” Judal smirked to himself as he played with a paper on his desk.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I su- one moment.” The man hissed at someone before speaking again. “…sorry about that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but considering the state of things in the Middle East and abroad, becoming more domestically oriented is definitely a safer and more lucrative move to make.”

“I completely disagree.”

“You would be wrong.”

“Would I? I think I’m right,” Judal smirked at the doorway before he thought of something. “…so you speak French.”

“And you speak English.”

The sassy remark made him glare a bit into space as he spoke. “Do you have any recommendations for learning the language? Something quick.”

“Ah, languages aren’t that easy. I do have a few books around still. I would be more than happy to help out with Aladdin’s education if you would like. I actually did substitute teaching during my college days if you can believe it. “

“Why would you do that? God, I can hardly stand one brat.”

“Kids are a joy. Don’t you think that Aladdin makes the day just a little more interesting? There’s a lot of fun you can have. You can run around to places and be childish and no one thinks anything of it. There’s a feeling of youth you get when you are with kids that just is contagious. You can take the world with kids around to cheer you on.”

“Oh yeah, nothing beats having your tie trying to choke you and having someone trying to sneak apples and watermelon into your bed sheets because he was hungry. It’s wonderful to need the bathroom at two in the morning only to find the light’s on and someone is in there.”

Ja’far laughed on the other end. “You have never lived with anyone before, have you?”

“I don’t really need anyone.”

“Mhmm,” Ja’far didn’t sound persuaded. “I’ll bring some French language books this weekend that you can borrow. I’m sure it will be nice to be able to talk more with Aladdin than you do now. “

“Yeah… something like that.”

“Until Saturday.” The other hung up, leaving Judal to think to himself as he propped his feet on his desk and tapped his phone to his chin…

He was supposed to call Aladdin today.

Probably should do that.

~

“I could just fall into depravity right now.”

“You’ve been sulking for three days, Solomon. You need to get out again.” Sinbad looked over at the man as Ja’far finally stopped glowing and talking on the phone. The man’s mood had gone from pissed to ready to sing gospel in a matter of seconds with that call.

“How can I? Seven years, Sin. It’s been seven years. He has grown up from the four year old I got to see. That dame made it impossible for me to see him then went ahead and lost him. I saw him five times in his life. Five, Sin.” Solomon looked over at the man, staring after a moment back up at the ceiling. “I saw him after he was born, then four times after building your company.”

“You did it to bring them a future.”

“Heh, yeah. That’s a bright future from the looks of it.”

“There’s no leads?”

“Oh no, the cop I spoke to in Boston said they traced my son all the way down to Mexico. As soon as they had him over the border, he was gone.”

Sinbad shook his head. “Don’t worry your head about it. You need to go on a vacation. Go back to Dubai. You’re a prince in your own right and everyone wants to be around you. Wash up and go be a king.”

“I should have been there though. What’s my son doing? Does he even remember me?”

“Oh geez,” Ja’far stood up, bringing the attention to himself as he walked across the room and slapped Solomon across the face. “compose yourself, Solomon. I swear, I’m either pulling you out of a harem or pulling both you and Sinbad from bars. You don’t get to do this regretting nonsense. You pull yourself together and you get the damn information. If he went to Mexico to be sold or whatever, then he’s out there. You’ll find him.”

“a-“

“No, don’t complain to me,” Ja’far looked over at Sinbad’s shocked face before he shook his head. “Sin and I will help you find your son, but you need to get yourself together and think positively. Simply relying on the cops in Boston is foolish. Do you have a picture of your son?”

“My wife never let me have any, but I will find one in her belongings. Her family wasn’t too eager to keep her things after her funeral last week. I’m sure I can get one from them.”

“Good. Then you go do that. Sinbad and I have plans for this weekend.” He smiled once more. “Masrur is finally going to have his dream and Morgiana will possibly make a little male friend this weekend.”

“Are you going to be trying to set them up, Ja’far?” Sinbad laughed as Ja’far began to blush.

“I wasn’t going to do anything of the sort, Sin! I just thought they would be good friends… don’t laugh at me!” Ja’far blushed harder.

“You did feel the need to include the word male,” Solomon smiled slightly. “it does sound like you are planning things.”

“Stop! Don’t encourage him!”

“Poor Ja’far, his cupid ways have been found out.” Sinbad folded his hands under his chin. “What will he do?”

 “I- Stop it! You are both not funny!” He glared at them both as he headed out of the room. “I’m going to do my job! Feel free to not call me if you need anything.” For emphasis, the door was slammed behind him, making Sinbad and Solomon both laugh.

“He’s really excited about having the little friend for Morgiana come this weekend,” Sinbad told the other. “He’s gone so far as to start studying French again. I think it’s just the fact that he’s really excited to be able to learn and make a difference again.”

“Doesn’t he have a kid yet? He needs to just find a wife.”

“I said the same thing, but I rather like his ass for myself. Better a kid than a wife. I can still love him when he’s got a kid.”

Solomon nodded, looking at the door again. “He seems like he’s going to try to take the kid.”

“Nah, I think he’s just gotten a couple screws loose and now thinks of all kids as his. At this rate, he’s going to become friends with that young man who came storming into my office for an interview the other month just so they can both take care of the guy’s kid.”

“That black haired man with the girl hair?”

“That’s the one. Apparently he’s got a kid. I don’t remember the situation around the boy though. Cute as a button though. Really knocked Ja’far out of the wa-“

“I CAN HEAR YOU THROUGH THE DOOR!”

Solomon smiled a bit more as Sinbad laughed hard behind his desk.

~

Slowly now, his eyes were trained on his prey, looking up at it from behind his tablet as he waited. It had been hours since the other had left. The phone had been quiet all morning. He kept a vigorous watch though. Soon, soon it would ring. He was going to answer on the first ring too. No one would be able to say he hadn’t been ready.

He looked down at the tablet again before he finally heard it. The ringing making him jump in surprise. Quick, fumbling hands reached out picking up the phone and putting it to his ear like Judal had told him. “Hello?”

“Hey, chibi.”

“Judal!” Aladdin beamed, sitting up in the bed and listening to the other’s voice speak through the device. “How are you? What’s work like? Did you get things done? Are you coming home soon?”

“I’m still here. Things are done so I’m probably going to leave early.”

“Great!”

“There’s a peaches sale going on down the street so I might be a few minutes at that.”

“Bring some home.”

“I was going to.”

“Good!” Aladdin listened to the silence on the other end of the phone, waiting patiently for the other to speak.

“…yeah, so… I will see you when I get home.”

“Did anything happen while you were there?”

“Anything happen?”

“Yeah!” Aladdin looked over at Anise and watched her give him a thumbs up. “Did anything funny or sad or upsetting happen?”

“…No,  _wife_ , nothing happened. It was boring here all day.”

Wife. That was a new nickname. He kinda liked it. “That’s okay. You can come home and have fun with me.”

“Mhmm, I will see you in an hour or less.”

“Bye!”

The other hung up, making Aladdin set the phone down before looking over at Anise. “He called me wife.”

She chuckled, “Did he? Are you finally going to get out of bed then? He might like his wife doing more than sleeping in his sheets. I know I like when the house is clean and things are done so I don’t have to do them.”

“That’s a good idea!”

She motioned him towards his room.

“Anise?”

“Yes?”

Aladdin smiled up at her, “thank you for helping me, but… why are you helping me?”

“That’s a good question.” The woman paused in walking. “I suppose it’s just because I know what it feels like to love someone a lot older than yourself and having everyone tell you it’s wrong. I know Alibaba’s original owner was a man I loved dearly, but we were twenty years apart. No one supported us.” She smile increased, a determined look coming to her features. “That’s why I don’t mind your age difference! If you want him, get him, Aladdin. Never let him go or you’ll just have to love someone he loved dearly while he was alive. Sometimes it’s better to love and lose than to be trapped thinking about what could have been.”

He gave her a hug for that, smiling bright before he went to get dressed.

 


	16. Chapter 16

The house was really easy to clean. With the two of them finding that the place was never very messy to begin with. Sweeping was quick, with Aladdin holding the dustpan for her. The dishes were thrown in the dish washer, the bed made.  Anise looked over at the boy now as he played around with things in her purse and sighed.

“I’m sure Judal will be home before you know it.”

“He said he would be home in an hour or less.”

“It’s already been twenty minutes.”

“Mhmm.” Aladdin pulled out a device from her purse and pressed the switch attached, eyes widening as the device started to vibrate. “Whoa!”

“Aladdin no!” She pulled the thing away, clicking it off and setting it back in her bag. “That’s not for you to play around in! What are you trying to do anyway?”

“You said you were in love with someone before.” Aladdin looked over at her. “You’re really pretty. You have to know how to make someone like you more.”

“Ah, Aladdin, you don’t need to do anything. You just need to be yourself and Judal will be cuddling you cute little face in no time.” She ruffled his hair and smiled. “You’re already in his bed anyway.”

“I could do so much more if he would let me though! He’s been really stubborn! He doesn’t seem to understand why I’m her-“

“He knows, he just respects you too much.” Anise shook her head at the boy. “You listen to me. You don’t need to push him towards that. You’re just a kid-“

“I’m supposed to though!”

“Says who?”

He went quiet, getting a knowing nod from the woman. “See? You don’t even have a single-“

“The sla-“

“Oh no no no. They don’t matter. Judal bought you, right?”

Aladdin nodded.

“Then you are his. It doesn’t matter what they think or want. Judal is happy with you as you are-“

“I know I’m not one anymore, but I want to do it with him.” He sat down next to her and played with his shirt’s hem. “I like being here and doing that will make him want to keep me more.”

“It’s no- fine.” Anise shook her head and turned his head. “I’ll help, but you aren’t allowed to let him do it with you tonight.”

“What?!?”

“The more he has to work for it, the more he will appreciate it. Take it from me, Aladdin.”

“Teach me.”

The woman nodded, pulling him along as Alibaba looked up from the other sofa, his ears perking up a bit as he woofed softly at them.

-

Judal pressed the garage door opener in his car as he approached the house, seeing Anise and her mutt in the yard playing Frisbee as he drove in. He put the car into park, taking a minute to sigh. Everyone had been insane today. Beyond that, he now had a meetup on Saturday to have to plan on going to. He would have rather have stayed home, maybe take a long nap and some things done.

At least he had peaches though. He grabbed the bag from the seat next to him and opened the car door, heading into the house and dumping his keys into his bowl. The house was quiet.

Nothing was ever quiet in his life anymore.

“Chibi! Oi! Where are you at?” His eyes were scanning for the other, finding that the house was cleaner than before. “Chibi!”

“I’m in here!” Aladdin called back, his voice coming from the bedroom.

“Please, don’t let him be naked,” Judal murmured, setting the food down before heading towards his room. The sounds of movement made him groan internally. Of course the other was doing something inappr-

His thoughts stopped as he opened the door to find the boy standing in front of the mirror, trying to braid his hair. “J-judal! I was just um… It wasn’t working.” He let his hair go and shook his head. “Can you braid my hair for me? I like when you did yesterday.”

It could have been a lot worse. With that in mind, he moved across the room, pulling his hair into his hands. “Did you get those lessons done?”

“Yes, I did.”

“I saw you cleaned the house.”

“Mhmm.” Aladdin leaned into his touch a bit, eyes closing. “I worked very hard today. I spent most the morning getting all those things done on the screen and then went and worked on cleaning a lit-“

“Are you wearing makeup?”

“Hmm?” Aladdin blinked up at him. “You wear makeup. I thought it might be neat to try.”

Judal pulled the other closer and stared at him a bit more. “Did you get help?”

“A little bit,” the boy smiled at him before leaning forward, letting Judal continue working on his hair.

“…How was work?”

“You asked this, Chibi. It was long and annoying.”

“That stinks!”

“Mhmm… Done,” he pulled back and flicked the braid over the boy’s shoulder. “All do-“

Aladdin leaned up, giving him a small kiss before he smiled and headed towards the bed. “Like I said before, I got all the lessons done on my thing.” He turned it around and held it out for Judal to look at, but those lips had…

He couldn’t think very well as he absentmindedly picked it up and looked over the grading. “…Not bad…”

“Thank you!” Aladdin smiled at him more, playing with his braid. “If you would like, I can get you something to drink while you change. You look kind of uncomfortable.”

This was getting to be far too cozy. The boy was playing with his braid and humming as he wandered towards the door, heading to get him a drink. His makeup applied face was set in a smile. His arms swung at his sides.

“Oh no, Chibi. Come here.” Judal yanked him over to his side, spinning him around. “What are you doing?”

“Ah- I was getting you a drink. You said you wanted-“

“I didn’t say I wanted one. I’m fine. You, however, are getting far too comfy. What do you think you’re gonna get from doing this?”

“Doing what? I was just wanting to treat you well.”

The boy kissed his cheek before scampering towards the door. The damn brat…

Judal scratched his head as he sat down, eventually just falling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling. Was this what he had to look forward to? He would come home to find the boy trying to dress up and look nice for him. He would come home to find the other trying to spoil him rotten. He was just so damn eager to please.

The thought had him feeling anxious. It just… it didn’t seem right. There had to be something off.

“Judal,” Aladdin walked back in, carrying a glass in hand. “I brought you a soda pop from the fridge. If you don’t like-“ He was cut off as Judal reached over and pulled him over. His arms wrapped around the boy tight, leaning his head on the boy’s.

“…”

“…judal?” Aladdin looked up at him.

“We’re going to take a nap and not worry about a drink, got it chibi?”

Apparently it was. Aladdins’ face nuzzled into his chest, his arms wrapping around him a bit more before he nodded. “You can nap as long as you would like. I’ll be here when you wake up.”


	17. Chapter 17

Waking up in Judal’s arms a while later had been a pleasure that Aladdin had indulged himself in. He could feel the other’s hands running over his cheek. He could feel the other’s body pressed against his. The way his abs were hard against his side, the way his face looked as he woke up and looked at him was leaving a strange feeling in his chest.

He liked it. The way those red eyes looked at him and him alone. There wasn’t a look of how to get rid of him. There wasn’t any sign of hatred in his eyes. There was just a sense of being wanted. There was just that faint hint of the enjoyment he had had the other night.

Aladdin pressed closer, nuzzling into the other’s arms before Judal lifted his chin up. “You really like that makeup?”

“Hmm?” Aladdin started a little as he realized what the other was talking about. “I don’t really notice it.”

“Makeup is normally for women,” Judal told him, rolling over to grab a tissue from the box on the nightstand, almost knocking over the juice that Aladdin had brought for him. The tissue and a bottle of lotion was grabbed, the lotion applied to the tissue before Judal was wiping at the makeup on Aladdin’s cheeks and face. “I don’t really know what got me started on the stuff, but I don’t normally go without it. It’s not something that you need though.”

“But-“

“I don’t need you wearing it,” Judal murmured. “You don’t look quite the same with it on your face.”

“B-“

“I like thinks just the way they are. Makeup is to hide things. Women wear it to hide their flaws. Pimples, warts, ugly inner demons; you don’t have any of those. You shouldn’t hide behind such things.”

“You wear makeup though. Why do you wear makeup?”

The other paused, leaning closer and wiping one more spot on Aladdin’s face before he flicked the tissue to the floor somewhere. “I wear makeup to hide my own flaws.”

“You don’t have flaws.” Minus being very hesitant about certain things and unwilling to do some things, but otherwise Judal was perfect. The makeup just made him look prettier. Aladdin moved closer to him and tried to resume his nap, but Judal was pulling him up. “Ah- where are we going?” Aladdin stared at him in surprise.

“Dinner, I’m not going to let you sleep through the whole day just because.”

“Oh…”

Judal set him on the counter, pulling things out of the fridge. A bowl was set in Aladdin’s lap, the eggs cracked and the insides poured into the bowl while Aladdin held it.

“Can I do one?”

“Hmm?”

Aladdin reached for one of the eggs. “I want to break one.”

“fine, but don’t let the shell fall in.”

The shell completely fell in, making Aladdin wince and begin apologizing repeatedly.

“It’s fine, brat.” Judal pulled a spoon out, handing it to Aladdin. “Scoop it out while I get the frying pan out.”

The two of them began to work on their own ends, Judal pulling out and preparing the frying pan on the stove while Aladdin carefully and quickly pulled the shell pieces out of the liquid. The spoon was taken soon enough, replaced by a whisk.

“Stir it well, brat.”

And so he was now stirring, finding himself watching the other as Judal turned on the radio in the room and pulling out other things. A bowl of water was set on the stove, with lemons soon sliced and thrown in.

The pot was soon set to boil, Judal pouring the stirred up eggs into the frying pan and was turning to him while the food was cooking. “And that is how we make a really easy dinner, Chibi.”

Aladdin leaned forward, grabbing Judal’s hair and playing with it as the other kept an eye on the food. The way he kept looking back at him suspiciously started to make him smile, the smile turning into a fit of giggles.

“…what?”

Aladdin shook his head.

“Oh no, what’s so funny, Chibi?”

“Nothing.”

“Chibi~”

“It’s nothing!”

“Now, Chibi. I come from a long line of Germans and Arabians. We’re the toughest of the tough and I think I know just what kind of punishment is suitable for a liar…”

“I said it was nothing! You were just-“

“Oh no! I will have to punish you!” Judal’s hands were suddenly on him, tickling him endlessly, his hands moving along his middle. The feeling overwhelmed him, making him break into a fit. His laughter overwhelmed him, making him fall forward against the older man. The two began to fall towards the floor, Judal beginning to be tickled back.

Judal couldn’t help but to break into a fit, laughing hard as well as the two rolled across the floor. He couldn’t stop the giggling. Aladdin scrambled across the floor towards the couch and snatched a pillow as Judal gave chase, the two of them laughing harder as Aladdin began to pummel Judal with the cushion.

“You cannot stop me, Chibi! There is punishment for being a sneaky and secret keeping child!”

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t keeping anything! You were just acting funny!”

“Acting funny! Oh that means a whole lot more tickling in punishment!”

“NOOOOO!” Aladdin rolled, flailing back and forth across the floor. Judal laughed with him, standing up after only a few moments to check their food. Aladdin ran after him and hugged his legs, pressing his face against the small of Judal’s back.

“Oh, I think someone wants more punishment.”

“Oh no! Don’t do that!” Aladdin backed up, but the other spun around, picking him up and smirking at him.

“Hello there, Chibi. Are you ready for this?”

“I don’t need punishment. I just found your face funny when you were looking at me.”

“Was it?”

Aladdin nodded.

The man frowned at him. “Well aren’t-“

“The eggs look done!”

Judal followed his gaze, nodding as he put the boy down and began to flip the eggs a bit more. “Aladdin can-“

“I’ll grab the plates!” Aladdin was already climbing up a bit more and opening the cupboard, pulling out a couple plates and carefully setting them down. He grinned and reached for the cups as well. “You have fancy cups up here.”

“Careful, those are gl-ALADDIN!” Judal dropped the spatula as he dove for the boy, Aladdin’s hands dropping a wine glass from the upper shelf. His arms wrapped around the boy, pulling him close as the cup shattered on the floor, his grip was firm on the sink. “…”

“Thank you, maste-Judal…” Aladdin held onto the other, holding his hand close to his person as Judal held him.

“Did you hurt your hand?”

“I don’t think so, but I dropped the glass. I’m sorry.”

"Let me see your hand." 

Aladdin held onto his hand for another minute before Judal spoke softer. 

"Chibi, let me see."

His hand was held open for Judal to see. Those hands roaming over his skin gently before Judal gave a sigh. “I’m sorry about the glass,” Aladdin told him again.

“It’s fine. I hated those glasses. I don’t need all of them anyway. I have no use for such things.” Judal held him a bit closer, his lips pressing against Aladdin’s forehead. He was still not used to such things though obviously. His body froze, Judal soon enough setting him on the counter before he headed towards the garage.

“Judal!” Aladdin held onto the cupboard door, staring after him.

“I’m going to grab the broom from the garage.”

“It’s in the laundry room!”

Judal nodded, returning after a minute to begin sweeping up the mess. Aladdin slowly began to climb off the counter, picking up the spatula and setting it in the sink. He grabbed a rag and carefully pushed the last of the eggs onto the plates. He looked at the other thing, but he didn’t move it. Instead he waited, watching Judal dump the glass away in the trash.

Aladdin moved the plates to the table, grabbing silverware as Judal put the broom and dustpan back.

“Be careful by the sink.”

“I will!” Aladdin smiled over at him as the other poured sugar into the lemon water. Maybe he put in more, but Aladdin didn’t see it. He just knew when he was handed a cup, he liked whatever it was. It was warm and tasty.

Judal was so quiet though, eating his food slowly. The silence just kept building though, driving him slowly mad. Aladdin wasn’t sure if he was supposed to wait or talk or… He picked up his plate and settled his chair closer to Judal. He would just sit closer and see what happened.

“Chibi,” the man warned, but he didn’t do anything further. Aladdin resumed eating, talking about Alibaba. Even though Judal was clearly uninterested, picking at his food more, Aladdin filled the silence with something. He talked about how well trained the dog was, how much they enjoyed playing in the house. He liked the fact that the dog hadn’t minded sleeping half the day.

Judal rolled his eyes, eventually offering a bit of his own food for Aladdin to eat.

Sharing food? It didn’t get much better than that! Aladdin opened and accepted the bite, leaning against the man a bit as he ate.

“Thank you,” he told him, earning a nod.

“Mhmm,” Judal ruffled the boy’s hair a bit before Aladdin found himself offered more food. The man was basically giving him his dinner. Aladdin began to push the food back at him. He wasn’t going have it all. He started forking up some of the eggs himself, feeding the man as well. Before either had fully realized, Aladdin was on his lap, facing him with his legs on either side of the man’s lap. Their attention was focused more on the food. Before they knew it though, it was gone.

Judal stared down at him for a minute as Aladdin turned around in his lap, yawning again. “Thank you for the food.”

“Don’t thank me, you had to be hungry.”

Aladdin leaned up and kissed the other’s cheek. “Thank you.”

“Chibi…”

“That was all I was going to do.” Aladdin climbed down and headed towards the bedroom. “I’m going to head back to-“

Judal was following right after him though, his arms wrapping around him and hoisting him up.

“Ah- Hey!” Aladdin couldn’t help but feel his heart beat a little faster as Judal pressed his lips to his forehead once more. “you don’t want to-“

“I can kiss you without it heading towards that.” Judal opened the door to their room and carried him over to the television. “Another movie and then bed?”

“Yes!” Aladdin smiled widely, picking another movie out at random and beaming as Judal let him put it in and curl up next to him in bed. Judal didn’t let him kiss him though, dodging the kiss attempt and yanking him into a place against the pillows more before the movie started.

Still, when the movie was halfway through, Aladdin found him asleep, the lights from the TV illuminating his face.

Maybe… Maybe if he held on, waited a little bit longer, then Judal would let him kiss him back more. He was clearly making him happy. Judal must have liked coming home to find the place clean and him having that work done on the tablet thing. It had been boring, but…

Aladdin pressed his lips to Judal’s forehead, earning those warm arms wrapping around him and pulling him the rest of the way in.

He liked the affection, the love he felt when he was in Judal’s arms.

A small sneeze escaped Judal as Aladdin settled into place. He pulled the blankets up and turned off the television as the movie ended. With that all taken care of, he could rest against his favorite person.

“Good night, Judal.”


	18. Chapter 18

The morning light had come through the window, waking Aladdin up the next morning. As usual, Judal had gone to work, leaving the bed gold behind him. Aladdin could smell the man’s cologne on the sheets though, making him happy that way. He couldn’t help but to roll around for a while.

Then the phone rang, calling his attention to the wonderful black device on the charger. The sound was heaven to his ears, making him immediately get up to pick up the phone.

“Judal?” He smiled as he held the phone to his ear.

“…”

The other end of the phone was silent. How strange, Aladdin thought as he put the phone down and set it back on the thing. Maybe there was something wrong with the phone. That must have been it. These devices were so strange. He was never sure what they would be doing next.

He liked one thing though. It was something he had found out about from Anise yesterday. He smiled as he pulled up the photos he had taken last night while Judal had been asleep.

Perhaps it was the greatest thing ever done. He could zoom in and stare at the picture all day. He could scribble on it or make it seem like Judal was having his words come out as writing. Oh yes, he found himself heading into the kitchen and making Judal say all sorts of things on his tablet.

A while passed and Aladdin found himself giggling as a moustached Judal was on the screen with a bubble saying that he wanted his little chibi to come and cuddle with him all night long.

Perfection!

Aladdin set the tablet on the nearby chair and hurried over to the closet, pulling out some of Judal’s best clothes and putting them on. With the suit and tie on, Aladdin walked back into the room, proudly seeing the picture of sleeping moustached judal.

“Oh? You want to sleep with me,” Aladdin asked, looking over at the screen. “I don’t know. I don’t think you’ve done your work. I am very concerned about your future, Judaruda.”

The picture remained still, making Aladdin sigh.

“Fine, fine! Alright, Jiggly. I will let you cuddle me tonight, but you have to do something for me.” He leaned closer to the screen and attempted to mimic Judal’s smirk, “you have to tell me you love me.”

The room was silent before Aladdin laughed.

“It’s alright. I will give you some time. You have to say it though.”

The phone began to ring again as Aladdin snatched a peach from the counter and began to enjoy some breakfast. He hurried over to the phone and picked it up, answering. “Judal?!”

Once more there was silence, making him frown more.

“Hello?”

The other end was still silent, eventually going to the phone tone to show that the call was over. Aladdin frowned, moving to hang up and put the phone back.

He was almost certain that phones didn’t normally work like that. It hadn’t all week, and yet, it was doing that now.

He pulled the tablet into his hands and headed to the couch though. Nevermind what was going on with the phone, he needed to get his work done before Judal actually came home. Even though it was still in the morning, he was sure that it would be better if he got it done soon.

The lessons were so boring though. It was hard to pay attention. Rewrite words, add these numbers, divide these numbers. How did someone work with these things all day? The only thing he liked was doing the games and the art on the tablet. Sometimes the pictures were neat too. Like the story he had to read on the tablet about the fable of kissing someone on the Eiffel Tower and having them be your true love.

Of course, he was already planning to do something nice for Judal after what the other had done for him.

The phone rang again, making Aladdin frown and head over to the phone.

“Hello?!” He didn’t expect an answer.

There was something wrong though. Unlike last time, the phone wasn’t completely silent. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. The other end had this strange buzzing… a scream broke out from the other end before the line went dead.

Aladdin set the phone back on the receiver, moving back and looking around the room. It couldn’t… no, it wasn’t the people from before. He was free of them. Judal had said so. Judal was going to keep him safe and he was going to learn and be happy.

Yeah, no. It wasn’t them.

It wasn’t them. It wasn’t them it wasn’t them.

Aladdin hurried to the doors and started to check the locks, making sure that they were set. The blinds were pulled down, making sure that no one could see inside and no one would be able to see that he was here.

The room was much darker without the windows open, but Aladdin felt better. There was no way anyone could come in here now. He was-

The phone began to ring again, the echoes of the last call running through Aladdin’s head before he grabbed a blanket and looked around the house…

He ran for the closet, holding the blanket and tablet in hand as he closed the door behind him to hide from the ringing of the phone. He scurried towards the back of the room, settling down on the floor.

They weren’t here. They knew nothing.

Judal had been careful when they had left.

It wasn’t them.

There was something pressing uncomfortably against his back. Aladdin turned, pulling at it only to find that the thing was a lever.

He pulled on it, hearing a soft click before a small hatch opened.

A light was flickering down below. There were stairs descending below the place. What… what was this? Aladdin held onto his blanket and the tablet as he headed slowly down the steps, biting his lip as he found himself shaking.

There was a door down at the bottom of these stairs. The wood walls were old, somewhat cold to the touch. What was he to make of all this?

The door was unlocked, much to his pleasure. He opening it and turned on the light to see what had to be the best room in the entire house. There were guns lined up on the wall; going from smallest to largest, notes next to each of them as they were properly set up.

The room’s furniture was more elegant looking, the floors were a cold material he had never seen before… not for a long time anyway. There were swirls of faded color in the material, the deep brown color interesting him for a minute before he felt the plush carpet of the side area. A television was set up, but this one was different. There were lots of cables around this one. There were devices around it. Who knew what they were for but there were a lot of them.

There was a bookcase next to the gun area that drew his attention. “All Quiet on the Western Front, A Farewell to Arms, War and Peace, the… Aeneid of Virgil, Red Storm Rising,” Aladdin murmured the names of the books, frowning as he moved along the shelf. “Slaughterhouse-Five… I can’t read these.” Aladdin picked on up one of the books, opening it to see notes. There were lots of notes, lines in the book were crossed out, things were written in the margins. There were smudges on some pages, like the book had been in the rain or cried into. There were all sorts of colored inks used on the pages.

And there was a picture in this book. Aladdin picked up the photograph that fell and frowned. The picture was of Judal. He was dressed up in military clothes. He had a bright grin on his face as he held his gun propped against his shoulder. His hair was shorter. A lot shorter, Aladdin noted as he looked around again.

Aladdin turned the picture over.

_Judal – 16_

The date said just three years ago.

What did sixteen mean though? There’s… Judal was an adult. He was in his mid twenties or later wasn’t he?

At least down here he felt safe. There were guns that were lined up. This room was hidden behind the dirty closet mess. He couldn’t even hear the phone anymore. It was safe.

He liked that the best. It was safe and sound from everyone. Moving to the couch in the room, Aladdin curled up, pulling the blanket closer around him.

There was a bubble that was on the screen.

_Chibi, got sick at work. I’ll be home in the next ten minutes. Why didn’t you answer the phone?_

…Judal?

Aladdin sat up at the sight of the message and paled. Had Judal been the one trying to call all morning? Maybe he was very sick and he couldn’t speak-

Oh, this was a bad idea. Aladdin hurried up the stairs with his tablet, running through the hidden door and setting it back into place. He hurried into the main part of the house just as he heard the garage door come up. He paused as he realized the blanket had been left behind.

Was there still time?

He hurried back into the closet, running back down and grabbing the blanket. The lights were turned off again before he sprinted up the stairs, turning off the stairwell light and replacing the door before he climbed out of the closet. The sound of a groan made him hurry towards the garage door as it opened.

“Jugemu!” He wrapped his arms around the other only to feel Judal kneel down, wrapping his arms around him and holding him close.

“Hello Chibi…” Judal held onto him tighter than usual, his face paler than usual. His breathing was coming in short.

“Ah, you sound horrible!” He pulled back, cupping Judal’s face in his hands. “You look bad, Judal.”

“I know. The old hag was telling me all about it this morning. I worked a few hours at least.”

“You should have stayed here.”

“Chibi, my head hurts, my stomach hurts, it’s cold in here; just help me to bed.”

“Alright,” Aladdin pulled him closer, taking as much of his weight as he could get before he pulled the man towards their room.

“What’s going on with the blinds?”

“It was too sunny,” Aladdin replied, wincing as he realized he hadn’t fixed them. He had been so worried over being seen and taken away… Anise was probably wondering the same thing if she had seen that from next door.

Judal seemed to accept that, moving onto the bed as they got into the bedroom. He groaned again, kicking his shoes off and settling under the covers of his bed. Aladdin threw his own blanket on top of him before he smiled.

“Do you want me to bring you anything?”

“Chibi, just come here.” Judal reached for him and frowned. “It’s too cold.”

“I can do that!” Judal wanting to be cuddled and loved by him was fine. It was more than that, it was perfect. If only he felt better, Aladdin thought as he cuddled the other man close. Judal pressed himself in close and sighed, beginning to slowly breathe easier. His chest moved a bit as he breathed, his warm body almost too much. This was good though.

What was better than actual physical contact? It didn’t need to be sexual, although he liked the kisses and the connection even if it hurt. Cuddling was amazing in itself.

“What did you do today, Chibi,” Judal asked in a murmur.

“Hmm? What did I do? I… um… I mostly lounged in bed. It was warm so I didn’t want to leave. I did my work for today though.”

“Good, that’s good.”

“Judal?”

“What is it?”

“Ah, I was… reading about birthdays… when is yours?”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t celebrate birthdays.”

“I was just wondering because I thought it would be fun to celebrate it.”

“You can throw a big two zero on a cake next year, but it’s too late this year. My birthday passed already.”

Judal was nineteen?! Aladdin kept from saying anything, nuzzling closer. “Can you stay home tomorrow? You seem really sick.”

“You have me all to yourself, little peach. I’m not leaving.”

And he stayed all day too, sleeping here and there and watching Aladdin play and work on his tablet. His arms remained firmly around his waist, holding him close as Aladdin worked. Sometimes he would tighten his grip or he would murmur that Aladdin needed to go get a bowl.

The bowl was for nasty, as Aladdin soon enough found out. He had to hold Judal’s hair back as he would relieve himself of the bad health. That’s what he assumed it was anyway. If it was bad, the body would get rid of it, right?

Judal always became cuddlier when he was finished, telling Aladdin weakly that it wasn’t good to stay with a sick person. “You’re going to get sick.”

“I’ll be fine,” Aladdin murmured back, pulling up another story on his tablet and holding it for both of them to see.

They read through The Little Prince again. Aladdin read through Jumanji for Judal and then he pulled up a neat story about cows that typed. These were such childish stories though. He stopped after that one and listened to Judal breathing next to him.

“…What’s next,” the older boy murmured in question.

“I don’t know. I think I want to read something more challenging.”

“Something more challenging?” Judal moved to sit up a bit, taking the tablet away a minute before he flipped through the thing, eventually returning it and settling back into place.

“What’s this?”

“If you can read that, then we’re going to stop reading the kid books and we’re going to read more interesting novels.”

Aladdin looked down and cleared his throat. “Alright… So we’re reading Harry Potter and the Ph… Philosopher’s Stone.”

And what a book it was! With every page, Aladdin found himself curling up a bit closer, smiling when Judal would do the voices for Draco or Snape. It was by far one of the most fascinating stories of them all. He kept on reading too, flipping from one page to the next, finding himself fighting fatigue when it came. Just a little further, they were getting through the book. The ending would be coming soon.

“Chibi,” Judal murmured as he tugged at the tablet.

“judal no,” Aladdin tightened his grip.

Judal’s lips pressed against his cheek as he pulled the device away, “It’s bed time, we’ll read more tomorrow.” He set the thing on the nightstand and pulled Aladdin under the blankets more.

Aladdin yawned, turning in the sheets and nuzzling into Judal’s person as much as he could. “I love you, Judal,” he told him quietly.

“Yeah… Get some sleep.” 


	19. Chapter 19

He had coughed all night, making Aladdin wake up several times. He found the other holding him closer. His head had pressed against his neck.

Poor Judal.

Aladdin held onto him through the night, waking up to help him get his bowl or to wipe the sweat from his brow. He calmed away the curses and self-hate, telling him that it was fine. “It’ll be better tomorrow,” he murmured.

And then the sun had come up, shining through the cracks in the blinds. Aladdin yawned as he sat up, looking next to him at the man. Judal’s face was still pale, but there was a bit of color that wasn’t there before.

“Judal,” he leaned down and shook the man gently.

“mmmph…” Judal yanked him closer, holding him close and kissing his cheek without any warning. “more sleep…”

“It’s morning tho…” He stopped himself, feeling Judal hold onto him a bit tighter.

Okay, so maybe a little bit longer laying in Judal’s arms would be nice. He liked the thought of being able to relax and enjoy the other’s company. He didn’t want Judal getting better that fast anyway. It was Friday already. Did Judal work weekends?

Aladdin pulled the tablet from the nightstand and squirmed around so he could turn it on.

Time to read more, he thought to himself.

“Chibi… it’s too bright.”

“hmm?”

“I said it’s too bright,” Judal opened one eye, looking up at him before he sighed. He pulled him closer, propping the pillows around them both as he trapped the blanket around them both. “Alright, since you want me up so bad, let’s get this over with. Where were we?”

“The unicorn in the forest.”

“Right, the unicorn blood nonsense.” Judal yawned before motioning for him to resume his reading. “Let’s hear it, Chibi.”

He started to read slowly, looking over at Judal now and then. The other liked to slide his finger across the screen to turn the page when he would start to be distracted. He read one chapter, letting Aladdin settle at his side.

“Oh, we have to take a break,” Aladdin told him, climbing off the bed and heading for the bathroom. Judal remained lying there though, pulling the sheets closer to himself.

“Hurry back, Chibi. The bed is cold where you were.”

Aladdin could only grin, nodding before he rushed to the bathroom. Judal seemed to be doing okay. Still, he didn’t want the other to leave for work or anything. He hurried in the bathroom and came back when Judal was puking.

“Hold on, I have your hair!” Aladdin hurried over and picked up the other’s hair before it slipped into the bowl, holding it back so Judal could vomit without hesitation. He groaned as he pulled back, starting to set the bowl on the nightstand when Aladdin took it. He hurried off to the bathroom again and washed it out in the sink.

When he came back, Judal was shaking his head. “You didn’t have to do that. I could have done that after we finished reading.”

“I was already up anyway.” He climbed back into the bed and felt those hands pull him back into Judal’s arms. “Do you feel better?”

“A little bit, nurse chibi. I should let you do your homework though.”

“I’m working. We’re most the way done with this book.”

“I see that. I should have known you were a quick learner.” Judal seemed proud of that fact, but Aladdin was just happy to be reading something that held the other’s attention more. It was a more fascinating story too. The characters weren’t as simple as before. There was a whole lot of change that they seemed to go through.

As Aladdin began to read, he paused, hearing a ring go through the house.

“Damn it all,” Judal pulled away, moving to stand up.

“Judal no! Lay down!”

“The door is ringing and there’s no way in hell you’re going to be answering.” Judal moved to the door, holding his stomach as he headed towards the main room. Aladdin trailed after him as the man moved to the door.

Stupid idiot was going to vomit on someone.

Judal opened the door and frowned. There was no one outside the door. It was empty.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Judal growled, slipping something into the waistband of his boxers before stepping outside the door. What was he- that looked like one of his guns in the waistband of his shorts!

Aladdin moved to the doorway and held onto the frame, looking around as Judal headed down the front stairs and yelled over across the street at the man mowing his lawn.

“Oi! Ugo! You see who the hell rang my doorbell?!”

The other stopped mowing, looking over at him and heading over. Aladdin slipped outside the door, shutting it behind him as he scurried over to Judal’s side.

“Ah, how cute. Hello there,” the man greeted to him before he looked at Judal. “What’s going on?”

“I’m sick and some idiots are messing with me and Chibi here.” Judal crossed his arms and looked around. “You see the punks?”

“I saw a van take off from near your place a minute ago. It’s down by Leraje’s place.”

“Oh wonderful, just the woman I want to see when I’m making the prankster’s wet their pants.”

Ugo shook his head as he wiped at his forehead. “I didn’t know you had a little brother, Judal.”

“Ugo. Aladdin. Chibi, this is our neighbor Ugo. Aladdin’s my cousin’s brat. Since my cousin is an ignorant moron who had no idea how to care for kids and his wife decided to take off for Mexico, I’ve gotten custody of him.”

“Oh… I see,” Ugo didn’t seem to like Judal’s blasé way of explaining though. He knelt down and smiled, holding his hand out for Aladdin to shake. “Well, Aladdin, it’s good to have you in the neighborhood. It’s usually very peaceful around here… except today obviously…” He was looking back towards Judal as Judal was storming towards that van. The man hurried after him with Aladdin running to catch and keep up.

“Ugo, watch Aladdin while I make some kids cry.” Judal was reaching beneath his tanktop for that gun as Ugo shook his head.

“They couldn’t have done anything that bad.”

“Like hell they couldn’t. I had to unplug my damn phone this morning when it kept going off. They thought it was funny to murmur my name and have someone scream in the background. I swear, the phone and door pranks weren’t funny when I was a brat and they aren’t funny now.” His frown turned into a sadistic smirk as he pulled the gun out and made it click. “Let’s see how funny they find a vet with a gun.”

“Oh, hold on now, Judal!” Ugo tried to grab him but Judal rushed to the van, banging on it a couple times before he threw the back door open.

“Good morning, douchebags. Who rang the doorbell?”

“OH! OH MY GOD!” A couple of people broke apart immediately, screeching as they tried to grab the door, but Judal held it open, aiming the gun at the two.

“What the hell man,” the man growled.

“This is a private road, idiots. Get your clothes on and drive off to some other street.” He motioned the gun towards the front seat. “Tell your friends if another unmarked vehicle comes into this neighborhood and parks without being owned by one of the houses nearby, then we’re gonna have it towed at the owner’s expense.”

The driver stared back at him in terror, the fat man punching the gas. Judal let go a split second before the van was making tire marks on the road.

“Damn…” Judal pressed something on the gun before putting it back. “Stupid kids.”

“You were a little rough, don’t you think?”

“Nah, probably drug dealers. That driver looked a bit old to be in school.”

Aladdin moved to Judal and held onto his arm as Judal looked around a minute. He tried to keep calm, not thinking about that familiar hairstyle of the front seat person. Their hair kind of reminded him of the slave trader B-

No, it wasn’t him. Judal said they were drug dealers.

“Aladdin?” Ugo was looking down at him, drawing Judal’s attention down to him. “Aladdin, are you okay?”

Judal’s expression looked more confused as he leaned down, rubbing his arms. “Hey, Chibi. What’s with the face?”

“Face?”

“You’re as pale as a sheet.” Judal stared at him a minute before groaning. “Shit, we’re probably both sick by now. I told you not to spend so much time with me while I’m ill. Come on. Let’s get inside before we spread it to the whole damn neighborhood.”

Ugo watched Judal pick up Aladdin before smiling. “I know Paimon is planning to make soup today. I can bring some over if you both would like.”

“God, that sounds good.” Judal looked over at him and nodded, “bring that shit over. Chibi and I have been snacking on who knows what for the past week.”

“You have to eat healthy, Judal. Both of you do. You’ll get sick more often if you’re always eating junk food.”

“Tell your wife not to put veggies in it.”

“She’s my sister, not my wife,” Ugo corrected before he nodded. “Just focus on sleeping and drinking lots of fluids, boys.”

“We will,” Aladdin murmured, nuzzling closer to Judal’s neck. He liked it better there, even as they went back to the house, slipping under the garage door. Judal was nice enough to carry him all the way back to the bedroom and grab an extra blanket before they settled once more against the pillows.

Both of them were too tired to read anymore though. Aladdin found himself yawning loudly and nuzzling into Judal’s side as the man pulled the tablet into his hands.

“No more wizard story, Chibi?”

“I want to watch a movie.”

Judal leaned back a bit, pulling the gun from his shorts and setting it on the nightstand before he looked around. “What movie do you want to watch?”

“Anything,” Aladdin replied with a small smile.

“Are you sure?” The other looked down at him a moment before pulling the remote into his hands. He flipped on the television and began to surf channels for a few minutes before he settled down on a show. It was full of real people… and dead people. Aladdin peeked over the sheets to see the people gathered around the body, poking at it and talking.

Judal seemed to like it, liking the black haired man in the big coat and blue scarf the most. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but the man seemed like a know-it-all. He was always talking from the looks of it. The others didn’t like him very much, but he still had friends?

Aladdin looked up and saw Judal murmuring the things the main character was saying. Had he seen this before?

He must have, if he knew what the other was saying as he said it.

The commercials came on and Judal looked down at him, pulling the blue hair into his hands and starting to braid it. “What do you think, Chibi? You think Sherlock’s going to find the bad guy?”

“Um… I guess,” Aladdin looked over at the screen a moment before Judal was a little closer to him.

His face was serious as he spoke quietly. “Don’t tell the old hag at work that I watch this, okay? She thinks I hate this show and leaves merchandise for the show or things that look like Sherlock’s lying around my desk.”

“I won’t,” Aladdin promised, cuddling closer.

“Good, you are my Watson then.”

“Alright,” he agreed, enjoying the thought. He could be Judal’s partner. Judal let him rest close for the afternoon, only getting up when the doorbell rang. He made him stay as he headed to the main room, answering the door only to return with Ugo. The man was looking around and nodding.

“You have a nice house. It’s a shame it’s only a one story house.”

“I don’t need any more floors.”

“Such a small house though,” Ugo shook his head before he held up the container of brown liquid. “Hello Aladdin. I brought the special Paimon get well soup over.”

“Oh thank you! We need Judal to feel better soon.” Aladdin sat up and smiled at him.

“We need both of you feeling better,” Ugo countered, shaking his head. “Judal, if you will just tell me where your bowls are, I’ll let you both settle back down and I’ll pour this for you both.”

“I’ll grab the bowls,” Judal told him, heading back out of the room and towards the main room again. Ugo looked around before frowning.

“Does Judal keep his guns out often?”

“No, he just set it there since we both felt sick and he didn’t want to sleep with it on him.” Good reply, at least, that’s what he thought as Ugo nodded.

“He should be putting that back where it belongs though.”

“I will make sure he does.”

“Alright… Oh, Sherlock. I love a good detective show.” Ugo looked at the screen as Judal came back, staring at them both before shaking his head. “Am I entertaining you for today, Ugo?”

“We need to find out who killed the banker.”

They did too, Aladdin sitting up in bed with Judal next to him. They both were enjoying their soup as Ugo had one of the kitchen table chairs, sipping at some of the soup himself as they all watched the show. It wasn’t even just one episode either, no. It was a marathon. Aladdin found himself sinking into Judal’s lap and sleeping as the two adults watched the show run on and on.

However long it lasted, he slept through it when he found himself waking up to Judal working on papers next to him. The man was sketching away at guns and looking at charts when he looked over at him. The sun was gone, the nightstand light turned on as Judal worked.

“Judal?”

Judal glanced over at him before ruffling his hair a bit. “Go back to sleep, Chibi.”

“I’m not sleepy,” Aladdin argued, looking at the papers. “Is this work stuff?”

“Yes it is. Kouha brought it over an hour ago.”

“Kouha was here?” How had he missed that? How long had he been sleeping?

Judal looked over at him again and shook his head. “Chibi, you need to sleep.”

“I told you I’m not-“ He stopped when the other set his papers down, reaching over and pressing their lips together. All his thoughts were washed away by those lips touching his, those hands caressing his cheeks. Those red eyes were deep and passionate looking as he opened his eyes after the kiss to stare at him.

“Get some more sleep or we can’t do anything tomorrow,” Judal told him.

After a kiss like that, he wasn’t going to argue. Aladdin settled against his side and wrapped an arm over his waist. “Maybe just a bit more sleep,” he replied. “Good night, Judal.”

The other didn’t reply as he went back to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Judal woke up to the phone, yawning and shoving some of the papers on his lap to the ground before he reached over for his cell phone. He glanced at the time on the alarm clock in his room and groaned a bit as he answered. “Hello?”

“Good morning, Judal,” the man on the other end greeted.

“Freckles, do you know what time it is?”

“Ah, it is somewhat early. I’m sorry about that. I just wanted to remind you that the dinner is taking place at Sinbad’s tonight.”

“Yeah, got it.” Judal stood up, slipping out from Aladdin’s arms and the blankets to head over to the other room. The blinds were still closed, he noted as he opened them up and blinked at the sun shining in.

“Yes well… Sinbad’s home has a pool so he’s planning on letting Aladdin, little Morgiana and whomever else wants to swim have some fun with that.”

“Alright,” he replied, although he really wasn’t caring at all. It was too early and he was tired. He wanted to sleep and enjoy the day in bed. Talking to people was not in his list of things to do today.

“I… I will see you both tonight.”

“Alright, mom. Love ya too.”

The spluttering on the other end continued, making Judal yawn again as he hung up the phone and went to the fridge. It was looking a little bare this morning. He would have to buy some groceries tonight.

Night… Bed… God, he was tired still. Judal headed back to his bed and climbed back under the covers, feeling his little wannabe lover’s arms wrapping around him. Those blue eyes opened, blearily looking over at him a moment before a small smile came to his features. His hair had fallen into his face while he had slept, now blocking that face from view a bit. Judal reached up, brushing his bangs back before he pressed his lips together in thought.

The boy’s hand reached forward, mimicking him in pushing his hair back, but he didn’t purse his lips. Instead he moved a bit closer and held him close by his waist. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. We just got a reminder that those idiots’ party is tonight. We’re expected there.”

“Really?!” Aladdin looked up at him. “That’s great!”

“You’re feeling up to it?” Judal looked down at him, seeing the boy immediately sit up and nod.

“Absolutely! Let’s go!”

“It’s not until the evening.”

“oh… Well, what do we do in the m-“

Just as he was speaking, Judal heard his phone ringing from where he had left it in the kitchen. Instead of answering though, he dove beneath his covers and groaned. “I’m not here.”

“Should I go answer it?”

“Sure.”

Aladdin climbed out of bed, leaving Judal to sit there and listen.

“Hello? …Kouha! What do you want… I- ah, I didn’t mean it like that… Don’t be mean. He’s not here… He forgot his phone…” there was a strange sound, followed by the boy coming into the bedroom and blushing profusely.

Ah, but he couldn’t help it, crawling out from under the covers. Judal watched that boy blush and stutter replies that, ‘no, Judal wasn’t around’ and ‘yes he had forgotten his phone.’ He climbed back into bed and Judal watched him curl up close.

“Are you sure he’s not there,” Kouha whined loudly.

“Yes! I’m sure!”

“Well, I was thinking that we could all go to the zoo.”

“The zoo?”

“Yeah! It has lots of-“

Judal stole away the phone before reaching over, slamming the nightstand drawer closed and talking loudly. “I’m back, Aladdin! I think I left- ah there’s my phone. Is someone on it?” Judal held Aladdin close as he held the phone to his ear. “Who is this?”

“Judal, convenient how you just got home. I was just telling Aladdin about some plans I had in mind. I want to go to the zoo.”

“Need to visit your kitty cat?”

“I miss Hakuryuu deeply. Come with me. Bring Aladdin. Let’s make it a date.” Kouha’s voice practically purred that last word. “I bet he would love to wander the zoo with you.”

“We have plans.”

“Oh? What kind of plans?” Kouha was clearly smiling from the sound of his voice. He knew he had him, but Judal didn’t want to tell him about the party. No, that was just not professional. It would just lead to more questions and perhaps a bit of mistrust.

“…Fine, we’ll go to the zoo with you.”

“Great! I will meet you both there.” He hung up before Judal could get another word in.

“We’re going to the zoo?” Aladdin asked, looking at him in surprise as Judal sighed loudly. He nodded as he leaned back in bed.

“Yeah, we’re going to the zoo.”

“Is the zoo a bad place?”

“No, not really. I just would rather sleep in.” Judal rolled over, laying on the boy a bit and nuzzling into his soft skin. “You’re soft.”

“Good,” Aladdin wrapped his arms around him and let him relax. “What’s at the zoo?”

“Animals from all over the world. It’s big and you can see all of the animals and watch them play around. It’s alright, I guess.”

“I want to stay here with yo-“

“Chibi.”

“Hmm?” Aladdin looked at him curiously. “What is it?”

“You speak French, don’t you? Have you worked with those apps I found for your tablet?”

“Oh those? They were just songs and something about hockey. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it sounded kind of violent.”

“Hockey isn’t that violent.” He nuzzled a bit closer, letting himself relax and try to enjoy the boy’s company. “Sing, chibi.”

“Ah, I don’t think I can-“

Judal stared up at him a moment before Aladdin smiled slightly. He cleared his throat, beginning to sing softly, the sound of his voice soothing him more than anything else. It was easier to wake up to the sound of something relaxing. Hell, the boy had a way of singing too. The sound of the language spilling forth from him was soothing. It sounded like a slurring of sounds, melded together in such a way to make it sound pretty. No wonder it was a romance language.

He wasn’t even sure when he did it, but his body leaned over him a bit more as Aladdin sang happily for him. Those blue eyes coaxing him in, those arms wrapping around his neck; he hovered just before Judal’s face for a moment before Judal found their lips pressed together.

It wasn’t healthy for him to be this close to the boy. It was bad for his mental health. Every touch was just more addicting than the next. Had the boy been a drug, Judal would have been running to a source for more and more of him. Had he been alcohol, Judal would be dying of alcohol poisoning. He couldn’t help himself though. Just one touch was his undoing.

He liked having the boy right there. It was genuinely something, he found, that he took pleasure in. Aladdin pulled back and smiled up at him a bit, licking his lips a bit before he smiled brightly.

“Je t’aime!”

“yeah…” He rolled to get up. “Come on, Chibi. We’ve got a bathroom visit to make. We need to shower and get ready to go.”

Aladdin trailed after him into the shower, peeling his clothes off and walking into the spray of water. His bright smile was only rivaled by the one he gave when Judal lifted him up to wash his hair. He was just so damn happy about this. Judal found their mouths soon fighting again, Aladdin having those legs wrapped around his waist again. That foreign tongue of his wagging as he let out a slur of French words at him. God, he had a fetish for languages. No, that couldn’t be right. Kougyoku spoke German sometimes with customers on the phone and he never found that attractive. He actually made fun of that.

But there was a way that the boy let it out that made him just lose it. It was like a switch the boy had found, turning him on with just a flick. His little body was so smooth, fitting against his own without any qualms. He liked the height difference. He liked everything. Let’s not kid around, he wanted to just crawl back into bed with-

There was something wrong with him. He was probably still sick.

Judal pulled away again and climbed out of the shower, tossing a towel on the boy and telling him to stick to English. “It’ll be easier to understand you if you stick to English,” he told him, as though that were the only reason.

They climbed into the car with a bag of nice clothes to change into and their swim trunks, heading out to meet up with Kouha at the zoo around eleven. The sun was shining brightly as they went. Aladdin rolled his window down, enjoying the sunlight and letting the wind dry his hair a bit.

He hadn’t braided it, Judal noted as he waited at a streetlight. “Chibi, we need to stop when we get there and braid your hair.”

“Oh… we didn’t do that yet. It’s still dripping a bit.” He smiled and held his hair in his hands. “Do you think there will be dogs at the zoo? I bet Alibaba would like to see other dogs.”

“No, there aren’t going to be any dogs.” Judal rolled his eyes. They don’t really do domestic animals. They have wild ones.”

“Alibaba is pretty wild.”

Judal looked over at him a second before he pulled onto the drive to the zoo parking lot. He pulled into a parking spot before he motioned for Aladdin to slide a little closer. Aladdin came, turning so Judal could do this thing. It was simple enough, the braid only taking a couple minutes before he lowered his hands and nodded. He grabbed a hat from the back and tossed it on the boy’s head.

“There, that should do for now.”

“It’s kind of like an adventure.”

“It’s like a something,” he replied. “Come on.”

Aladdin climbed out of the vehicle and hurried around it, slipping his hand into Judal’s as Judal locked the car and shoved his keys into his pocket. They headed to the entrance and into the zoo, almost immediately finding Kouha standing by the gatehouse.

“Judal! Aladdin!” He smiled brightly, wearing a big old hat on his head as well as he rushed over. “I’m so glad you guys could make it! Are you guys ready to see some animals?!”

“Definitely!” Aladdin beamed back at him, bouncing on his feet as he had some of Kouha’s excitement rub off on him.

The two smiled to one another a split second before Judal found both his arms were grabbed.

To the African region they went! The ostriches made Aladdin laugh, almost as much as when Kouha started to mock them, walking like them. To the giraffes next, where Aladdin stared up at the animals, wide eyed in astonishment, “They’re huge!”

“Yeah, I would hate to get a neck pain if I were them,” Kouha told him.

“AH! IT’S COMING CLOSER!” Aladdin wrapped his arms around Judal as the animals came closer. Judal rolled his eyes, finishing his purchase and holding the lettuce pieces out for the giraffe.

“They’re hungry, brats.” Kouha hurried over and wrapped his arms around Judal as well, making him glare over at him. “The chibi I expect this kind of behavior, but my boss should be more courageous,” Judal growled.

“It has a mouth and it’s taller than me. I’m intimidated,” Kouha replied, nuzzling into his side. Aladdin looked over at him before frowning, holding onto Judal a little more.

The fight over him lasted through the ape and monkey area. Judal found himself almost literally dragging the two along through the area. Aladdin leaned in more, hugging him tightly as they reached the end of the second area. “Juju, my feet hurt.”

“Judal, my feet hurt too,” Kouha replied.

“I’m babysitting on my day off,” Judal complained, dragging the two to a bench before sitting down. Of course, that was wrong too. Aladdin and Kouha were both tugging at him after a minute and Judal found himself dragged along as the two complained about how thick headed he was.

“LOOK! THE LEOPARDS ARE THIS WAY!” Kouha pulled them along, heading towards the lions and felines just as Aladdin tugged them the other way.

“No, we need to go this way! Australia stuff! I want to see a platypus!”

“They don’t have platypus. They’re illegal outside of Australia,” Kouha countered. “Let’s go see lions.”

“Kangaroos.”

“tigers.”

“Koalas.”

“Judal, talk to him, he’s being unreasonable.” Kouha looked up at the man and Aladdin looked up at him as well.

“Jugemu. S’il vous plait! Pouvons-nous rendre en Australie?“

Judal held back the shiver as he heard that, shaking his head. “Come on, if we go through the Australian area, then we can take the long way around and you can see the felines when they’re out.”

“Suck up,” Kouha murmured as Aladdin happily wrapped his arms around Judal and led him in the direction of the koalas. Kouha’s mood brightened though when Judal bought him some cotton candy on a whim. Aladdin got his own, offering some immediately over to Judal. The pink and blue cotton candy was a big favorite between the two boys as they ran through the Australian area. Aladdin smiled as he saw the kangaroo with a joey in its pouch.

“It’s like you and me, Judaruda!”

“Yeah, share the space, Aladdin. He’s my friend too.” Kouha nudged him, getting a nudge back from Aladdin.

“Don’t steal him and we’ll be fine.”

“Steal? I would never! I just want to have some fun with him too.”

Oh this was going downhill…

Or not, Judal thought as the two started to get along, Aladdin and Kouha running ahead of him again. It was honestly like he was babysitting a couple of children. They bickered and fought over and then when you thought they would kill one another with cotton candy, they were suddenly best friends. Aladdin and Kouha once more started to mimic the animals, particularly the sea lions and the peacocks.

But Aladdin hurried over when they reached the polar bear exhibit. Judal leaned against the railing and watched the bears lounging by the water. These were his kind of animal, although he was a big shark kind of person. He liked the strong fighting kind of animals.

Aladdin’s eyes went wide at the sight of the white bear though, his hands holding onto the railing so he could get as close as possible. “They’re so pretty.”

Judal looked down a minute before picking Aladdin up, letting him sit on his shoulders. Those arms wrapped around him as Aladdin took in the bears from a better angle.

“Judal. Look at them.”

“Yeah, they’re just bears.” Kouha shook his head, motioning away from them. “Come on, there’s hippos, rhinos, and penguins ahead.”

“I want to watch the polar bears.”

Judal rolled his eyes, heading after Kouha as the other ran off. Aladdin tugged at his hair a bit. “Relax, Chibi. I know what we can do about seeing more polar bear stuff later. Right now let’s see the other animals.”

The other animals held Aladdin’s attention as well, but not to the same measure as the polar bears. Aladdin smiled at the penguins, laughing as Kouha waddled with them. When they stopped for food, they were forced to walk their way back to the polar bear area, eating next to it as Aladdin got to watch them again. He smiled and looked down at them.

“I wish we could feed them.”

Kouha shook his head. “I don’t think they let you.”

“Nah, you can if you want to.” Judal stood up and brushed his hands off, moving to go talk to a nearby zookeeper. He could feel the two pairs of eyes on him in surprise as the zookeeper nodded.

“We haven’t fed the polar bears yet.”

“And the snow leopard?” Kouha was excited.

“You’ll have to ask the zookeepers around them,” the man replied, almost instantly making Kouha vanish from their side.

Aladdin got to have his fun though, following the zookeeper in and dumping some fish into the exhibit. He pushed the ice chunk with apples in it into the exhibit as well, following the zookeeper’s orders before the man made the boy’s entire day. He moved a bit closer, checking the bear a moment before motioning for Aladdin to come over.

The two were petting the bear as Judal watched.

“He is so big!” Aladdin was bouncing, literally bouncing around him as he came back. His arms wrapping around Judal’s waist. “This is the greatest!”

“It’s just the zoo, chibi.”

“Next time, we should go in together and pet the polar bears. One’s name is Ulu and the other is Pike.” Aladdin would not shut up from there. He kept going on and on, describing the texture of their fur, the way the ice and their food worked. How old the bears were. What they did according to the zookeeper and from what he had seen.

By the time they reached Kouha, Aladdin was probably able to write a book about the animals. Kouha smiled brightly, “they let me see Hakuryuu.”

“Good. Now we don’t have to come with you. Just volunteer here like everyone else.”

Kouha nodded, “that’s a good idea. It would probably look good for the company too. How were the polar bears, Aladdin?”

“Oh no, don’t ask.” Judal covered Aladdin’s mouth before he could start the speech again and motioned towards the exit. “It’s time to visit the gift shop and then get going. I want to make sure to get to the grocery store before tomorrow.”

“Fine by me.”

They went through the store, looking at the colorful stuffed animals. Aladdin told Kouha about the polar bears there, distracted enough that Judal could manage to swipe a polar bear from the shelf nearby and buy it without him noticing.

The bag swung from his hand as they left, waving goodbye to Kouha before Aladdin frowned. “What’s in there?”

“A surprise.”

“A surprise?” Aladdin looked a little bit closer. “What kind of surprise?”

“You’ll see.” Judal made him wait all the way to the car, climbing into the driver’s seat and watching him climb in and buckle up before reaching for the bag.

“Let me see!”

“oh wait, I can’t just give this to you.” Judal held the bag away for a minute before he leaned forward. “What do you say?”

“I love you.”

Judal froze, blinking in surprise at the heartfelt phrase from the boy. Aladdin’s arms wrapping around him and the boy’s lips pressing against his cheek. Judal handed the bag over as he tried to reclaim his sense of self. Of course, it was hard when Aladdin opened said bag and pulled out the polar bear toy.

“IT’S SO CUTE!” Aladdin hugged the polar bear. He unbuckled, leaning over the console and hugging him. “I love it, but you didn’t need to get it for me. I just liked going with you.”

“Yeah, well I got it anyway.” Judal could feel his body burning as Aladdin nuzzled against him, holding that bear in his arms.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

“Got it, now let go. We’re supposed to be heading to that dinner party and we’re going to need to stop at the coffee shop to change really quick.”

“Okay.” Aladdin buckled back in, cuddling his polar bear as Judal backed out of the space and headed out. They changed at the coffee shop quickly, Judal giving a nod towards the workers behind the counter as he pulled Aladdin to the bathrooms in the back.

Aladdin changed quickly, hugging his bear as Judal fixed his tie into place.

“Judal, let’s just relax and not do anything tomorrow.” Aladdin smiled more as Judal nodded.

“Sounds good to me, brat. I would rather relax than have to worry about running anywhere.”

“I hope the dinner thing is fun too.”

“It will be about the same as handling those polar bears. A whole bunch of big guys standing around and chatting nonstop.”

“That sounds nothing like them. The polar bears were pretty quiet.”

“That’s because they were tired.”

Aladdin rolled his eyes as Judal adjusted his tie, walking over and fixing it into place before Judal was staring at him. They made eye contact a minute, Judal pressing a kiss to the boy’s forehead.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Aladdin nodded, grabbing his bear from the counter and following him out as he stuffed their clothes into the bag. “Thanks again for the bathroom,” Judal called before they left, leaving a tip for the stop.

The ride to Sinbad’s was peaceful, taking them out of the city and up towards the north. The driveway when they turned onto it was long, winding around to a gate that opened for them. Aladdin frowned. “It’s really strange here.”

“Yeah, a little more posh than our little place,” Judal didn’t like it either. Gates were uncomfortable.

Ja’far was waiting in the driveway with his hands full when they arrived, parking next to a BMW and Mustang.

“Good afternoon! You both look happy.” Ja’far smiled as he walked over, holding the books out. “Here’s those books.”

“Books?”

“The French books, remember?” Ja’far smiled, leaving them in Judal’s arms before he leaned down and ruffled Aladdin’s hair. “Hello there, Aladdin! I love your polar bear.”

“Right? Judal got him for me.”

“Have you given him a name?”

“A name?”

“Yes, of course. It’s customary to name stuffed animals.”

Aladdin looked at his stuffed animals. “I’m naming him Judal.”

Judal rolled his eyes and pulled the bear from his arms, putting him in the car. “Let’s leave my double in the car for right now, alright? You can go swimming with the little girl here if you want instead.”

“Ah, I just want to stay with you.” Aladdin looked over at him and frowned, but Ja’far took over in persuading the boy. His hands grabbing the two and pulling them towards the house.

“Trust Judal on this, Aladdin. Morgiana has been a bit excited about this as well. It will be great.”

The back of the house was full of people, chatting and gossiping. Women, men, and there was a small girl sitting nearby that was practicing hitting a man who was talking to Sinbad. A man was behind them, but Aladdin couldn’t see behind Sinbad to see the man. Instead he held onto Judal and Ja’far.

“Feel free to eat and relax a bit. We’ve got the heads of the National Rifle Association who has been talking nonstop about your company’s latest designs.”

“He should be. We’ve improved the scope and the stock’s rubber inserts improve the handling immensely. We got the patent yesterday.”

“Judal,” the man called; waving over at him and beaming. Aladdin looked up at the man to see Judal sigh a bit. Judal must have wanted to relax without thinking about business. It seemed like he didn’t really like it all that much… at least, not as much as he usually made it seem.

“Good afternoon,” Judal greeted. “How is the rifles?”

“Excellent, they’re perfect for hunting.” The man motioned towards Judal and spoke to his friend. “Judal here has set me up with my personal collection of rifles. I mean, he set me up with this one, what was it? I know it’s my absolute favorite but you explain it so much better.”

The man seemed to slip directly into his element. “It’s got a three lug action that cocks smoothly and a nice sized scope because, let’s face it, no one is going to look through a tiny lens that is smaller than their pinky.”

Ja’far leaned down and smiled. “Aladdin, wait right here a minute.” He waved across the room to the girl and man. “Masrur! Morgiana!”

The girl looked over before following the man she had been hitting over.

“Aladdin, this is Morgiana.” Ja’far smiled as he looked at the girl. “Morgiana,  this is our friend Judal’s boy, Aladdin.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Morgiana greeted.

Aladdin smiled a bit, holding onto Judal’s pants a bit as he replied. “Hi there.”

“Morgiana, Aladdin knows French. Aladdin, Morgiana is training how to fight.”

“How to fight?” Aladdin frowned, looking at the girl in surprise.

“Yes, I have been taking martial art classes. Do you want to see some techniques?”

Aladdin nodded, heading towards the other side of the pool where they would have space. Sinbad looked over as Ja’far went to his side, seeing the children start to bond and smiled.

“Looks like Morgiana has finally made a friend,” Sinbad murmured, sipping at his wine.

Masrur nodded as the two started to laugh, more Aladdin but it was a start. Morgiana was smiling, lying on the ground after a move. Ja’far looked over at Sinbad and smiled. “I think I’m not going to be happy until we’ve stolen away that black jewel and his boy from the Kou Corporation.”

 “Why are kids here? I can’t listen to these kids laugh.” Solomon was sitting at the table, downing another pint and holding his head. “My boy…”

Ja’far growled at him. “Enough beer for you. Get yourself together. Aladdin and Morgiana are being cute together. Sometimes we have to be happy for others, even if we’re internally suffering a bit.”

“Take it from the wannabe mommy,” Sinbad added, downing the rest of his glass as Ja’far glared at him too.

“Will you behave? You’re supposed to be wooing a perfect new CEO who only came to join us because of his boy.”

“Oi! Judal! Come join us!” Sinbad waved over at the man, summoning him closer. He grinned, “See, Ja’ffy. I can do both jobs of bothering you and wooing him at the same time.”

“Not a bad place,” Judal complimented, joining them. “A little out in the middle of nowhere though.”

“It’s a home away from home. I have a condo in the city that works too.”

“Are you referring to your office or my house,” Ja’far asked, making Solomon and Masrur choke on their drinks and Judal snort in amusement.

“I will leave that for you to decide,” he replied, winking only to get a groan in response.

“He’s been being a pest all afternoon,” Ja’far complained. “It’s a wonder we get any work done without a CEO.”

“In good time,” Sinbad replied. He smiled over at Judal and motioned to the others. “Judal, this is Masrur, the retiring employee who is now playing some serious hockey now.”

“It’s a minor league team,” Masrur told him.

“When the Kings are minor, let me know.” Sinbad shook his head and motioned to the other. “And this man is Solomon, the man who made our company originally, giving it to me to finish and build into an empire!”

“He makes me sound so important.” Solomon looked over at him and shook his head. “I made that boy what he is today… “

“I’m very proud and love you like a father,” Sinbad piped up.

Judal rolled his eyes and a glass from the table, taking the water rather than the wine. “I see… So are you supporting the guns or the peace idea?”

“Guns,” Solomon and Masrur both replied, making Judal nod.

“My type of people.”

The conversation continued in that tangent, with Judal settling into a seat next to him. The two started to really talk a lot more, and, before long, the two were both pestering Sinbad, criticizing his business. Sinbad groaned, grabbing himself a big drink before listening to them. Ja’far joining in and occasionally rubbing his arm or making them cut him a bit of slack.

“Morgiana, let’s go see what the others are doing. I’m getting kind of tired,” Aladdin told Morgiana across the lawn. They slipped around the women and men, looking around a few minutes before they found Judal.

Aladdin hurried over, wrapping his arms around Judal’s waist as Morgiana went and climbed into Masrur’s arms.

“There you are,” Judal murmured, pulling Aladdin into his arms. Aladdin sipped at his glass a minute before smiling.

“Mor was showing me how to fight.”

“oh, great.” Judal rolled his eyes.

“Who’s this?” A man next to Judal made Aladdin pause. His eyes stared into space a bit as he thought to himself. Where? Where had he heard that voice before?

“ah, right. Solomon, this is Aladdin. He’s a relative’s kid. I got custody of him recently. Chibi, this is Solomon.” Judal motioned and Aladdin looked over, his insides freezing up as he saw the man’s face.

His father was staring right back at him.


	21. Chapter 21

“Hey, Aladdin,” Solomon wiped his mouth before looking at the kid. “Good looking kid, Judal. I can see why you would be taking him in. Are you in school right now, Aladdin?”

“I do my work on a tablet,” Aladdin replied.

“Homeschooled?”

Judal nodded, sipping at his water and holding Aladdin in his lap. “Yeah, I don’t like how the education system is run. We have so many kids in public schools and we don’t pay teachers enough to teach them. This idea that they’re going to learn through hours of work, regurgitating, and throwing them under all sorts of pressure just isn’t right.”

“I see,” Solomon nodded. “I like it. That’s a smart idea, but colleges are looking at appl-“

“Colleges look at lot of things. Aladdin’s bright. He won’t have to worry about such things. Besides, I happen to not trust letting a kid be stuck for hours in some place without any way to reach me.”

“Wise enough. I have to say I should have done the same for my kid.” Solomon poured himself another liberal drink and chugged it down. “I should have been smart.”

“Oh yeah?”

Solomon nodded, looking over at Judal as Ja’far shook his head vigorously. The man was not seeing him though, pointing at Judal as he chugged down a bit more liquor. “My son, wonder and bright little thing he was, was left with my useless excuse of a wife. I sat him right down and went, ‘I’m going to California to build a world for us all’ and then I find my wife and son move when I return. The divorce papers are thrown in my face but no one tells me about my boy.”

Aladdin’s stomach dropped as the man spoke. Oh this way bad, this was really bad.

“I went on for weeks fighting in the courts before my wife found out about my brief affairs. She had a shark of a lawyer too. I left her and went to Dubai, I needed to find myself and let things settle, but I came back to find that her lawyer had taken complete custody of our kid. I was going to miss his entire life.”

“What happened?” Judal’s question made Aladdin’s stomach churn.

“My boy was kidnapped; no one knows quite what happened to him. My wife died in a car accident with a strip club owner. Meanwhile I was just in Dubai, sitting with a bunch of stock in the Sindrian Company.”

Judal looked down at Aladdin and nodded, “That would be a bad way to go.”

“Ha, you’re telling me. I have nothing to share my work with. What am I-“

“You make it sound like such a problem.” Judal shook his head, making a loud sound. “kids are a pain in the ass. Most kids these days are only concerned with taking your money and spending it whatever way they can. Then they sit there and listen to music or go smoke anything that they can set on fire. Either that or they’re shoving it up their nose. You would think after the baby stage they would grow up, but most people these days need to go live with some parents.”

“Kids are nice to have though,” both Solomon and Ja’far were saying this, looking at one another as Judal rolled his eyes.

“Kids are a pain in the ass. Better off without, I say.”

“Ah… Morgiana, Aladdin, why don’t you both go swimming?” Ja’far looked at the two kids, standing up and leading them away.

Solomon shook his head. “Let’s change the subject. I’d rather not talk about this. I would rather finish getting drunk out of all sanity!” The man began to down a bottle of wine as Judal shook his head.

“Fine,” Judal leaned back, sipping his drink before Sinbad spoke up. “So… are you a sports person?”

~

Aladdin and Morgiana changed into different attire, Aladdin standing happily as Morgiana nervously looked at the pool.

“I don’t really like swimming,” she confessed.

“That’s okay. I have no idea how to swim. We’ll just splash in the shallow end for a while maybe. Judal gave me these so maybe they’ll help.” He held up the goggles and Morgiana stared at them.

“Those cover your nose too…”

“Mhmm! I noticed that too! I think I could probably dive under the water with them.” He was quite proud of that fact, especially when Ja’far pointed out that he had some diving toys around. He went and grabbed them, letting the two climb into the pool with a few of the adults. It was kind of hard to put the goggles on, but he liked the fact that his eyes and nose were covered as he took a daring move and dipped under the water. The pool had a design on the bottom that kinda looked like a penis or some kind of weird drawing.

Aladdin popped up out of the water, smiling over at Morgiana and taking the goggles off as Morgiana held onto the side of the pool. “Here, you should try these. It’s really cool down there.”

She hesitated a moment before Aladdin helped her out, putting them on her and checking to make sure they were on well.

“Try going under the water.”

“Ah- Aladdin, I don’t know.”

“It’s fine! I did it and I can’t swim either.”

She lowered herself a bit more, taking a big gulp of air before she dived beneath the water, coming up a few feet away with a smile on her face. “Aladdin! These are great!”

“I know! Here! I will throw the toys and you go swim for them!”

With that he grabbed the rings from the side of the pool and tossed them, getting near some of the adults only to make them chuckle and toss the rings away. Morgiana swam after them, bringing them immediately back to him and grinning more and more over time.

The more they did this, the more attention they seemed to get.

Aladdin looked over to find Sinbad and Masrur coming to sit by the pool. Masrur looked genuinely shocked as Sinbad laughed, slapping Masrur’s shoulder. “Look at her! I haven’t seen Morgiana ever swim!”

“She can’t.” Masrur watched Morgiana swim back and hand the toy back to Aladdin. The two were already halfway across the pool, feeling braver than they had before. Aladdin held the edge of the pool, tossing the rings from a new angle so that they weren’t in the way of the last couple of people who were sitting on the stairs of the shallow end.

“You can take a turn after another throw if you want,” she told him, making Aladdin nod and throw the ring again.

Sinbad spoke up before Morgiana lunged after it. “You are doing amazing, Morgiana! Good form!” She blushed, diving under immediately before Sinbad was laughing a bit more. “She’s such a cute kid. I can’t believe she’s swimming.” Sinbad slapped Masrur on the back again as he turned, “Come on Masr-“

The man was falling into the pool though, taking Aladdin under with him. The two struggled under the water as Sinbad gasped.

“MASRUR!”

Judal looked over, immediately looking at the water before he was up. The sight of the blue braid in the water had him sprinting, not even thinking as he ran.

“SIN! HE’S ON ALADDIN!”

“DAMN IT!” Sinbad was pealing his clothes off, but a figure rushed past him, diving into the water immediately in a black blur. The man was swimming quickly to the bottom of the pool, shoving Masrur towards the stairs before he wrapped his arms around Aladdin and pulled him up, breaking the surface and holding Aladdin close.

The boy was coughing, clinging to Judal’s clothes and person. Judal held him close, swimming towards the shallow end as Ja’far helped Masrur out of the pool.

“Judal…” Aladdin clung to him, not even looking at anyone else as they went passed Morgiana in the pool and the others. The others in the backyard had all stopped talking, looking over at them and a few shouting for towels and things.

Ja’far offered his hand to help them out of the pool, “Judal, I’m so sorr-“

“Don’t need a kid! Better off without!” Solomon shouted from the table. “I see you are a man of your word!”

“Go fuck yourself,” Judal barked back at him, rubbing Aladdin’s back.

Ja’far hurried after them as soon as he had Masrur sitting down. The man had his daughter swimming over in a hurry and climbing out. She climbed into the man’s arms and hugging him.

“Are you okay, papa?”

Masrur shook his head. “I think I need a pair of those,” he replied after coughing, tapping the goggles as Judal walked Aladdin towards the house.

The black haired man was ignoring the advisor running alongside him, offering a towel or anything. Solomon followed after Sinbad who tried to do as Ja’far did and apologize.

“Masrur’s not a swimmer, it was an accident.” Sinbad grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the man’s shoulders. “Let me get you a drink or something. You both have hardly-“

Aladdin held onto Judal tight as he walked out the front door. Judal’s brisk pace getting them to the car and opening the passenger door manually. Aladdin clung to him more as he tried to set him down in the seat though.

“Chi-“

“Please no. I don’t want to let go.” Aladdin buried his face into Judal’s chest before the man pushed him against the seat more, buckling him in and handing him his stuffed animal before slamming the door shut.

Ja’far and Sinbad looked were still apologizing as Judal walked around his car. The man didn’t seem to be caring. He opened the driver’s seat door and climbed in, starting the car and backing out of the space. He kicked up dirt behind them as he took off, heading towards the road again.

“Judal…”

Aladdin looked over at him, shivering a bit.

“Judal… I think I’m okay.” His throat and nose hurt from the experience. His voice was hoarse. But if anything, he seemed more bothered. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel as he swerved to the shoulder of the road and threw the car into park.

He shut off the engine and reached over, unbuckling the seatbelt around him and pulling him close. Aladdin gasped a bit as he was pulled into Judal’s arms. The other’s lips were on him, kissing him repeatedly.

“you fucking brat,” he hissed. “You stupid idiotic, short, stupid-“

“Judal,” Aladdin blushed, not sure what to make of this. Judal kept kissing him though, even as he insulted him.

“How did you do it,” Judal hissed.

“I don’t kn-“

“You wormed your way into being important to me.” Judal held him, hugging him in a tight hold that Aladdin felt like he would never be released.

“Judal, we’re dripping all over the seats.” Aladdin squirmed in his arms, feeling one of Judal’s hands cup his face and lift it up.

Those lips were right there, hovering before his a moment before the other cursed again, closing the distance between them and kissing him hard. Judal’s lips were so soft, so inviting. The feel of his hands shaking as they held him, the feel of desperation in his touch and kiss; it made Aladdin’s body shiver. He held onto his rescuer and kissed him back, nuzzling against his chest as Judal pulled away for air.

“We aren’t going back, are we?” He didn’t want to go back. This, this right here was what he had wanted. It was all he wanted. Those eyes filled with what he believed to be love. Those arms holding onto him for dear life.

“No,” Judal breathed, leaning back in the seat. “Fuck no. There were how many people there and they were all waiting for an idiot to jump into an eight foot deep pool to drag a steroid takingman off a kid drowning. I’m not taking you there again.”

“Good.” Aladdin looked up at him, pressing a kiss to his jaw before he looked around. “We should go home.”

“I need a minute.”

“You need a minute?” Aladdin frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m pissed off and need a minute.”

His features seemed to be paling more, his arms shaking uncontrollably. The more they sat there, the worse he seemed to be getting. His grip was getting tighter.

“Judal?”

“Damn it, Chibi. Let me think in peace.”

“You’re hurting me a bit,” Aladdin confessed, squirming in Judal’s arms only to be let go of fast enough to honk the car horn. They both jumped before Aladdin leaned forward and kissed him again. “You look scared, Jugemu…”


	22. Chapter 22

He looked scared?

How amusing. He didn’t know what was going on anymore. His body was shaking uncontrollably. Thoughts from before were flooding through him as he felt the shortness of breath. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling anymore as he held the boy in his arms. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t move, except to hold the boy closer.

Such a cold feeling was running through his veins as he held onto Aladdin. But why? He hadn’t fallen into the water. Aladdin hadn’t stopped breathing. He was fine, nudging him and asking him such questions.

Was he scared?

Was he okay?

He couldn’t open his mouth to speak. Words were unable to reach him, fleeing his capabilities as he held onto that boy. He wanted to tell him that he was alright, but he wasn’t. They both could tell he wasn’t okay.

A ripple went through him, the jagged sound escaping him before he could stop it. Aladdin’s eyes were widening as he looked up at him. Those hands wiping at his face. “Jugemu, shhhh… ah- I’m okay. See? I’m fine!”

He was stronger than this. He wasn’t sobbing. He was  _going_ to start crying. Yet the sound escaped him again and his eyesight blurred. His face pressed against the boy and he howled through a sob. Whatever was happening to him needed to stop immediately.

“Juda-“

“Don’t,” he choked out. “Don’t… tell me… you’re okay…”

Aladdin held onto him tighter, nuzzling against him and stroking his hair. “What should I tell you? Should I call someone on your phone?”

Let others get a glimpse of him crumbling? Judal shook his head, holding Aladdin tighter. He tried to focus on something else. He needed to focus on something else, but his incapability to think passed how close Aladdin had been to drowning, to that feeling of helplessness in a safe place…

It was just like before…

_Just like in Middle East, when the others had gathered around him…_

_Their weapons had been pointed at him when he had been beaten by Titus and Yunan. Titus had almost strangled him to death in his cot as they had laid down to rest. Yunan had distracted everyone as they had continued with his torture. When others had found out what was happening, they had joined in. The whole barracks had come just for the chance to get after the young officer. He had caused an innocent girl to get hurt and had started a war between two groups._

_They were unable to return home because of him._

_The bathrooms had been the first place he had been taken to. His head shoved into the toilet so hard that his throat had been bashed horribly against the porcelain. He had fought for air…._

No, he had to stop thinking about such things. Aladdin hadn’t suffered. He said he was fine. It had been just one incident. He was okay. Stop thinking, he told himself. Just stop thinking and focus on those hands…

 _The bathroom torture had been stopped when a commanding officer was supposedly heading down the hall. By his arms, Judal had been taken to the kitchens, stabbed multiple times. Even that was not enough for those bloodlust driven soldiers though. Even though the knives were turned inside his body, the blood,_ his _blood, was spilt across the floors._

_He was forced to watch a few soldiers take his hair and wipe at it, snipping at the ends._

_What soldier was allowed to keep such hair as his? What use was it to a soldier to have a thick rope excuse of a hairstyle?_

_They had dragged his stabbed and beaten body out into the courtyard as unconsciousness had tried to relieve him of this stress. Cold water splashed upon his face, making him shriek in agony._

“Judal! Judal, are you listening to me? You’re screaming! Stop it!” Aladdin shook at his shoulders. “Judal! Jugemu! Juju! Judaruda! JUDAL!”

The shrieks weren’t just in his nightmares of the past, they were escaping him. His body was going into shock. He had to stop. Aladdin, focus on Aladdin; but that was easier said than done. He couldn’t stop himself.

_Titus led the group, holding up his weapon and looking straight into his eyes. “You killed her. I don’t care what Yunan said. You won’t live to see the morrow. Why should you live when a kind, innocent girl must be sacrificed? You’re worthless. Arrogant. Selfish. You will pay for your sins just as a girl had to pay for something that was not her fault.”_

_The end of the gun faced him, the dark circle of darkness looking into his soul._

_This was his end. This was where everything would come to its close. There would be no more of him. No more fighting, no more happiness. He would die here._

_The gun went off, something hitting his shoulder as Judal stared up at him._

_A figure next to Titus had made the shot move. The glaring man looking down at their blond counterpart. “You idiot! I said he was under my protection and you have done this!”_

_“Let me kill him!” Titus aimed at him again, the shot ringing out again and hitting his hip. Judal could feel the burning beginning through his body. The shock and pain was finally starting to set in. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe._

_“Damn it! No! He was to be deported back to the US today!” The man punched Titus, running over to him and looking over him. “Look at him! How do we explain this to the Lieutenant? He won’t believe that the enemies have gotten a hold of our weapons!”_

_“He deserves death,” Titus hissed._

_“How does he deserve death when he does not even understand human compassion?! You would let him die an arrogant fuck rather than live a depressed, guilty soul?”_

_“He should not li-“_

The memories were pushed away as a pair of lips pressed against his own, arms wrapping around his shoulders tight. Aladdin was kissing him again, his tongue trying to delve into his mouth and coax him to stop. Judal couldn’t help but to return the embrace in the small space, holding- no, clinging to him.

He wanted his control back. If only just a bit of composure would return to his being, he would be grateful.

How was this boy able to return his sanity to him?

It wasn’t of importance the how of it, not in the end. Those lips were taking away the nightmares from before, dragging him back to the present. There was no suffering in these arms. No torture or pain was in this place. There was only this feeling pooling within him, hardening him.

Those blue eyes pulled him in and embraced him in such peace. To think, the war mongrel being calmed by such a small being; it was so absurd in initial thought. And yet, he tugged the seat adjust and let them fall back. His arms wrapped around Aladdin’s body more, tightening and tangling into his hair.

“Judal,” Aladdin mewled, kissing him more. “I want to go home.”

“I need a minute,” Judal breathed, unable to move or concentrate enough to even consider going home yet. The panic attack was slowly leaving his system. He was just starting to pull himself back together.

The boy understood that though, like some uncommunicated explanation. He nodded, stroking his face and kissing him again. Over and over those lips pressed against his, stealing away the screams and fears, leaving his affections. He let Judal touch him however he wanted to touch him, giving soft murmurs of encouragement.

Their bodies pressed together, Aladdin’s giving all the comfort that he could as Judal kissed along his person now. His lips moved from those lips of the boy’s to traverse over his skin. Down towards his neck, he ignored the wet hair and the potent scent of chlorine to kiss him. But Aladdin wouldn’t let him stay there, moving him back up to kiss on the lips again. He moved away after a minute to kiss his hands, watching those blue eyes glaze over. His lips quivering as Judal looked down at him.

It wasn’t the past he was seeing as much anymore. His vision was clearing, his mind focusing. It was all on Aladdin. On the way his squirmed beneath him, on the way his eyes seemed to have waves of lust run through them, on the way his belly sucked in as though he were trying to hide any flaw there might be in extra weight. His hands released his hand to move down, holding his belly in place for him to kiss.

He didn’t seem to know what to do about that. His face grew red, eyes closing.

Ah, but wasn’t it the normal reaction to hide how much something gave you pleasure or pain by closing your eyes? Judal moved back up to go to his ear, murmuring into it, “Open your eyes and look at me.”

“I…” Aladdin gazed up at him, shaking now. It was better for him to shake. He liked when that happened. The control was back.

“I can stop,” Judal murmured, pressing their foreheads together as the boy lay flat against his driver’s seat.

“No, don’t stop. I want to keep going.” Those eyes seemed to darken, making him smirk just slightly as he kissed the boy’s nose.

“We’re not going to be doing this in the car.”

“Are you feeling better?”

“I’m feeling fine,” he told him. To his surprise, it was the truth. He couldn’t feel the panic anymore. All those feelings that had overwhelmed him were gone.

Aladdin nodded, holding him closer and smiling. “Good. I got really scared there. You looked like you were being hurt or something and I didn’t know what to do.”

“I don’t know what happened…” It was like everything had come crashing down on him. The crickets and the owls making sounds around him reminded him that they were outside in the middle of nowhere in his car. There was nothing else happening. It was just them. Had that been what those soldiers that were in the training videos had been on about? A panic attack and post-traumatic stress?

“At least we can make you stop, right?” Aladdin smiled up at him, playing with his tie a bit as Judal thought to himself. “If you ever get like that again, then I just need to kiss you and hold you.”

“You shouldn’t touch a person going through a panic attack, chibi.”

“It worked, didn’t it?”

Judal groaned, frowning at that face in front of his. “You are going to get hurt if you keep trying to help me.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t chalk this up to something simple. You should be living with someone like Anise or Ugo.”

“No way, I like living with you.” Aladdin pulled him in a bit more, kissing him a second before smiling bright. “I like you much more than them. I don’t think we should worry about what could happen. A lot of bad things could happen whether or not I’m with you. You make me feel safe though. You saved me tonight before anyone was even able to swim over to me.”

“I said should be, not that you would be,” Judal rolled next to him, cuddling the boy to his person. “We should head home.”

“I agree, we should. Do you think we should grab some food on the way home?”

“No, I don’t think so. We’ll order in. I don’t feel like wandering around that much more. Hell, I probably shouldn’t be driving anymore tonight.”

“Alright.” Aladdin pulled out of his arms, making him reach after him a bit before he realized what he was doing. The boy settled into his seat without a fight, buckling himself in as Judal tried to make himself behave. The kid was fucking thirteen. There was a six year difference that he should be respecting. God, he was kissing and fucking him too.

There was a special corner of hell for Judal.

Trying not to think about the moral wrongness of his personal love interest, Judal pulled his seat back up, starting the car once more and buckling up before he was wandering onto the road. The drive back was composed of Aladdin holding that stuffed animal and asking Judal if he should call his bear something special.

“I kind of want to name my bear Judal, but I think I might get your attention or have someone confuse him with you.”

“Then mix my name with something or whatever.”

“Hmm? Like what?”

Judal sighed, turning onto another road. The city grew around them, passing them by as they drove closer to home. “Like… Alaju or Juala.”

“Juala?”

“Yeah.”

Aladdin grinned, “You mixed our names together.”

“It was the first name I could think of besides my own. Yeah, I mixed our names together. Is that a problem?”

“It’s not a problem at all. It sounds cute. Juala. I’m going to keep calling him that from now on. I just like the fact that my name is the one that would come to your head so fast.” He nuzzled his bear against his cute little face, blushing a bit as he smiled over at him.

There were a lot of problems with him liking how Aladdin looked. Judal focused more on the road, nearly swerving into the wrong lane because of his moment of looking at Aladdin. He turned onto their street and slowed to a stop. The lights ahead of them and the many cars making him feel that stress return.

“Judal, there are cars in the driveway? What’s going on?”

Judal swerved fast around the car in front of him as he drove onto Ugo’s lawn and parked. He jumped out, slamming the door behind himself and seeing Ugo running over.

“There were robbers in your house,” Ugo exclaimed. “Anise called the police-“

“Watch Aladdin!” Judal stormed towards the house, yanking the police tape out of his way and storming right up to the policeman nearby. “What the HELL IS HAPPENING TO MY HOUSE!?”


	23. Chapter 23

“Are you the owner of this house?” The cop looked down at him, frowning as he motioned a few people behind Judal to stay back.

“Well I might just have all my things in there and shit in the bathroom from time to time. YES I AM THE FUCKING OWNER! What the hell is going on?” He glared a few cops down as they looked at him and frowned.

“It would appear that there were two assailants in your house and there are several damaged things. We have found that several pieces of furniture were ruined and we are unsure of whether or not anything has been taken.”

“Well if anything was, then they probably stole weapons.” Judal groaned. The cops would have a field day with his place. There were enough weapons downstairs…

“We found a gun sitting on the dresser in the bedroom.” The officer shook his head. “We’re dusting for fingerprints and searching around, but we will need you to search through the place for any missing objects.”

Looking through the place sounded fine by him. He wanted them out. All of them. The cops were acting like his place was one big open house and by the looks of it, they were taking the liberty to bag up several of his things for evidence.

“Let’s get this over with. I’ve got a kid who has to pee.”

“Unfortunately, given the state of the place, we won’t be able to allow you access until the morning. We can allow you to enter to get some clothes after fingerprints are dusted up,  but-“

“Nah, I’d rather not bother waiting. I’m tired. Just know I’ve got the kid with me so there should be two sets of fingerprints in the house normally.”

“It shouldn’t be an issue. We’ll get your child’s prints and yours in the morning.”

“Fine.”

Thank the world he had packed them some clothes up in that bag in the car. Even dripping wet, he could at least change into something else for the time being. He headed back to the car, taking a struggling Aladdin from Ugo’s arms and holding onto him a minute.

“Judal, they’re in the house.”

“Yeah, we got a scare break in.”

“A scare break in?” Ugo looked at the two and shook his head. “Do you think it was the people from the other day?”

“Probably. I don’t care as long as my guns are still in there. I’m too tired for this shit.”

“You’re welcome to stay with me,” Ugo offered.

“Stay here? I’d rather sleep away from the flashing police lights and the looming threat of the cops wandering over to investigate my ass. We’ll find a place.”

Aladdin nuzzled close and pressed his head against Judal’s neck as the policeman walked over. He seemed to be more frustrated.

“We would like to question you now if you have time. And your little girl too-“

“Boy. Aladdin’s a boy, thanks for asking.” Judal glared at him.

“Right ma’am-“

“You have no idea how gender works do you? I don’t have breasts.” Judal sat Aladdin on the hood of the car and leaned against it himself. “Ask your questions before Aladdin and I head to a friend’s for the night.”

“Ah, it shouldn’t take long. My apologies about the mix up. The long hair threw me off.” The cop pulled out a pen and paper before looking at them both. “Where were you both today?”

“We went to the zoo today,” Aladdin replied with a smile. “Judal got me a polar bear while we were there with Kouha.”

“Yeah, my boss and I had some work we were discussing and we thought it would be best to take Aladdin out to the zoo instead of working at the office. It was easier to discuss our thoughts of the office meetings there. Fresh air and all that.” Judal crossed his arms. “Then we went to a dinner party hosted at Sindrian corporation’s head official Sinbad’s place. Aladdin had an incident there though when he decided he was going to go swimming and ended up drowning for a minute. Sent me straight into a panic attack after we left soon after; we were stuck waiting on the side of the road for about an hour while I calmed down.”

“A panic attack? Do you take medication?”

“No,” Judal frowned further. “I don’t take anything but the occasional vitamin when I remember. Why?”

“Panic attacks over someone drowning… How are you both related?”

“Cousin’s kid. He dumped the kid off and ran. I don’t know where he is or what’s going on, but it’s not like I care. Is the fingerprint shit necessary?” Judal could feel his stomach getting uneasy. There was something wrong with them getting their fingerprints taken, but he couldn’t name the problem very well.

A red flag mentally was warning him that he should avoid such things.

The cop shook his head. “Unless we find more than two prints, then we aren’t going to worry about it. It looks like they were trying to scare you. Do you have any enemies? Anyone who might do this?”

“Let’s see here. Should I list them chronologically or alphabetically? My military barracks, several coworkers, rival company officials, my old adopted family, god. I’m pretty sure Buddha’s probably got a bone to pick with me while we’re at it.”

“I see…” The man looked unhappy with the answers. “We will be working on dusting the house for a couple more hours. Do you have any contact information? Who will you be staying with?”

Judal took the paper and pen, jotting down his number onto the paper before handing it back. “Call me only if you absolutely need me. I don’t give a shit about this. As for who we’re staying with, it’s none of your damn business. Come on, Aladdin. Get in the car.”

Aladdin smiled to the cop again before he hopped down, moving to get back in the car. “Goodbye officer!” He waved as Judal opened his car door and climbed in, slamming the door shut and buckling.

“Sir!”

“We answered where we were. I don’t personally want to waste any more time looking at this shit. Lock the door when your idiots get done with the place.” He started the engine on, backing up all the way to the open road, turning to head back in the direction they had come from. Aladdin looked over at him and shook his head.

“So much for ordering food.”

“I know. We’re going to have to buy something somewhere.”

“That’s alright.” Aladdin reached over and set his hand on Judal’s relaxing one on the center console. “Are you okay?”

“Hmm? I’m fine. That shit back there was just annoying. I don’t like cops.”

“Me neither.”

“They’re useless. If you ever get into trouble, the most good they are is someone to hide behind or get a ride home from, but otherwise they just ask stupid questions.” He turned into the drive thru of a fast food place and shook his head as he drove around. “I’m so tired.”

“Me too. Where are we going to stay though?”

“Probably a hotel.” Judal shook his head as he opened his wallet and thanked the world he had credit cards. His wallet was soaking wet still from the pool. “What do you want to eat?”

“A whole bunch of food.”

“Two large meals coming up.” He ordered three for them, making sure  that they got a couple good sized milkshakes with their food. Aladdin drooled as he watched the food being lowered to the car and Judal handing his card over to the woman. When the food was handed to him, he was on it. His hands digging into the bag, he began to ravenously eat.

Judal parked nearby and looked into the backseat for a minute before frowning. “chibi… Where’s our clothes?”

“Hmm?”

“The bag with our things. Where is it?”

“Umm… Did we leave it at Sinbad’s?” Aladdin looked behind them as well, only to hear Judal groan in annoyance and grab his bag, pulling out a burger and shoving it into his mouth.

“Damn it all,” he cursed as he swallowed his food. “we’re going to have to go get it.”

“Tonight?”

“Yeah, we might as well just stay there since we’re heading out there.”

“You don’t seem too excited about that.”

“No shit. I don’t like their ideas, I don’t care for the place, and I was a good portion of the way sure that if I was going to be sitting for another minute with that guy Solomon then I was going to throw him in the pool and drown him.”

“Yeah… Solomon was weird…”

“Weird? He was a drunk idiot.” Judal propped his feet on the dashboard and rolled his eyes as he unwrapped his other burger. “ _I was just a poor husband who wanted what was right for my family so I ditched my wife every chance I got then wondered why things went to the shithole._ Real swell guy, let me tell you. Reminds me of the assholes in the military.”

“I think he made some mistakes, but he didn’t seem like he was proud of his choices.”

“Of course not. His wife’s dead and his kid…” Judal broke off, looking over at Aladdin and staring. “…Why are you defending him?”

“I’m not! I’m just sayin-“

“You know, anyone in that family is probably pretty worldly, knowing another language no doubt by an early age.”

Aladdin caught onto the meaning quickly, shoving some French fries into his mouth and shaking his head. “I doubt it. You said he was an idiot. Idiots don’t do smart things.”

“You know, you and Solomon both have the same color eyes…”

“You and Kouha have almost the same color eyes.”

“Chibi, you’re his fucking son, aren’t you?”

Aladdin shook his head, sipping at his milkshake as Judal growled at him. “Don’t lie to me. I’m going to get pissed if you do. There won’t be any cuddling or books or anything if you are lying.”

“…” The boy’s head lowered, his grip on his toy tightening as he stared towards the floor.

“Chi-“

“He’s my father…”

Judal leaned back, nodding a bit as he sipped at his drink. He now had a headache. “How the fuck did no one notice?”

“I look more like my mom. I think… I don’t know. He doesn’t look that much like me.”

“He looks a whole fucking lot like you!”

“You like using that word.”

“Do you know what happens to people who kidnap someone, brat? All it takes is one of those idiots catching you cuddling a little too close, or one policeman running your blood or fingerprints through a search and I’m sitting in a prison cell or getting a death sentence.”

“I don’t want to see him ever again.” Aladdin tried to argue.

“Oh yeah, that’ll work out. He seems to be having too much fun getting drunk anyway. My concern is those two idiots who work with him.”

“Judal,” Aladdin climbed over the console, setting the bag in Judal’s lap on it and hugging him. “Can we just not think about it please? I don’t want to worry about him or anyone else. I like being here and if they really want me happy then they will let me stay here.”

“Things don’t work out that well in the real world. They’ll take you if they figure it out.”

“I want black hair.” Aladdin pulled Judal’s into his arms and smiled as he played with the braid. “I thin-“

“No.”

“What?”

The stupid kid had him getting defensive. Judal’s arms wrapped around him: pulling him closer and stroking his hand through that hair. “You even think about dying an inch of this another color and I’m personally going to make sure that you don’t get any attention from me for the rest of your life.”

“I would look more like you though,” Aladdin argued.

“I happen to like your hair,” the older one growled back at him. His face pressed against those blue locks and he shook his head.

“Can we go to the hotel now?”

Judal pulled out his phone, holding the boy against him as he dialed. It rang twice before he heard the other answer. “Sinbad? Judal here. Aladdin and I ended up the victims of a home invasion… No, we’re fine. We left our bag- yeah… I… Yeah, we’ll do that.” Judal looked down at Aladdin as he hung up. “We’re going to head to Sinbad’s for the night.”

Aladdin nodded at him and leaned up to kiss him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Solomon sooner. I didn’t remember him until we saw him and then…”

“It’s fine.” Judal kissed the boy as Aladdin frowned. “You know you aren’t going to be able to try anything at that guy’s house.”

“Don’t tell me that. I wanted to finish what we started before.”

“What was started before was you being a comfort item for a panic attack.”

Aladdin smiled up at him and kissed him again before returning to his seat. “As long as I’m your comfort item.”

“Don’t say that.” He kicked back up the car and settled back into place, starting to pull out of the parking space and head towards Sinbad’s place as Aladdin leaned on the console. Those bright blue eyes stared at him as he spoke.

“I really love you.”

“I got that impression.”

“You’re going to keep me away from Solomon, right?”

Judal held the steering wheel a bit tighter as he thought of the irony of the situation. Just like Titus had hidden that brat from being killed, he was now keeping Aladdin hidden from a nearby threat. He reached over and pulled Aladdin’s hand into his own, giving it a light squeeze before nodding.

“Yeah, you’re staying with me, Chibi. Get used to it.”


	24. Chapter 24

The darkness had long since digested the world, leaving Aladdin and Judal to drive through empty streets and silence. Aladdin looked over at Judal, wondering what was on his mind as they went. The man was quiet, focusing on the road mostly.

His hand was still holding his own though, stroking it gently as they headed towards Sinbad’s home. It was peaceful inside the vehicle.

The winding road back up to Sinbad’s place was just as quiet as when they had left, but the cars were gone. It looked more peaceful in the place. The lights were even on inside the house.

“Judal! Aladdin!” The duo on the front steps waved over at them.

“Here we go,” Judal growled as he killed the engine, slipping his keys into his pocket as he opened the door. “Sinbad. Ja’far.”

“I heard from Sinbad what happened. That’s horrible!” Ja’far hurried to their side as Sinbad took his sweet time to walk over. “Is there anything we can help you bring inside?”

“We can carry the garbage.” Judal moved over to Aladdin’s side of the car, helping him out and grabbing his bag from the boy’s hands. Aladdin handed him his shake as well as Ja’far tsked at them.

“Fastfood?”

“We were hungry.”

“I wish I had answered. We would have made you both something here. We noticed you didn’t eat much.” Ja’far shook his head. “So much for a dinner.”

“It’s been a rather long day-“

“Ah, right. You both must be exhausted.” Ja’far motioned towards the house. “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes and into something a bit more comfortable.”

“My shorts have been dry for a while,” Aladdin told him as he struggled between the bags of food he still had and his bear. When Judal took the bags though, he frowned. He could have held the bags if he had just had another minute or two to try. Ja’far smiled at him and motioned towards the house.

“I think you’ll at least like your own shirt on.”

“I wouldn’t count on that,” Sinbad interrupted to say. “Some people like not wearing their shirt. I’m the same way.”

“Look, we accepted the offer to stay so you wouldn’t have to come into work on Monday to return the stuff, but we’re tired.” The raven haired man looked between the two adults and headed further towards the house, ignoring the apologies behind him.

Aladdin already missed being able to hold him. He copied Judal’s lead by yawning loudly. His pace quickened so he could stay caught up with the other.

“We can talk in the morning,” Ja’far told them, motioning them along a hallway in the house. “Feel free to leave things however you see fit in the morning. Sin is more than willing to clean up.”

“What am I? A butler?” Sinbad rolled his eyes at Ja’far, but he opened a door nearby and motioned them in. “We left your bag in here. You can sleep in here and we’ve got a bed set up for-“

“I’ll sleep with Judal!” Aladdin clung to Judal’s side and smiled. “I have nightmares sometimes so-“

“Thank you for showing us to the room,” the man he was clinging to replied to the others in a formal manner. There was an edge to his voice that really made it sound like he was done with this. He was tired of talking.

It wasn’t hard for Sinbad and Ja’far to get it. Both bid them goodnight before heading further down the hallway.

“Judal, do you think that… he is here?” Aladdin hadn’t thought of that before, but his father could be anywhere nearby. For all they knew he was in the room next door and was listening. Could he have gotten a bit smarter and realized that his son was lounging in the next room with a half erect penis, looking at the man that he loved in concern.

And he was very concerned about Judal. Judal seemed unhappy in general, his hands slowly pulling out their clothes before he tossed a shirt over at Aladdin. “We’ll just sleep in the spare clothes in here for the night, I guess.”

“Judal?” Aladdin moved over to his side and hugged him tightly, rubbing his back.

“…Chibi, what are you doing?” The other stared at him with such cold eyes, but Aladdin didn’t falter from where he stood. He buried his face deeper into Judal’s back and let himself relax.

“I really just want to curl up and relax.”

“I still need to finish eating,” the other replied. His body didn’t seem as tense anymore though. The light was back in his eyes, that light that Aladdin hadn’t noticed had been missing while the other two were around.

“Right,” he murmured. “I haven’t finished either.”

“Are you sure about that? You were eating plenty in the car…” Judal pulled his damp clothes off and tossed them aside before going over to the bag, pulling out some fries as he slipped on a spare shirt from the bag.

When his pants dropped and Aladdin realized he was going to sleep in nothing but a shirt, he made a squeak. He hurried over to his side and grabbed his own food, setting it on the bed before his hands were on his own clothes. They were dumped unceremoniously on the floor. He threw his shirt on over his head and settled it into place before he was crawling onto the bed and slipping beneath the covers.

“Impatient. I better not wake up to find French fries pressed against my chest.” Judal slipped into bed beside him and they settled in for eating. It was a warmer room than their one in Judal’s house. It made things feel strange. He was so used to the off white walls of Judal’s bedroom. The big old bed with its black duvet and red pillows. He was used to the cherry furniture and the warm temperature.

Here it was chilly, making him cuddle against Judal more. The room was full of greens and browns. The wood was still there, but it wasn’t a cherry. It looked old. Some of the wood looked fake too. The bed looked and felt fluffier than Judal’s as well.

It wasn’t home though. That was what made him miss their time before.

“Chibi.”

“Hmm? Wha-“ His mouth was stuffed with a couple French fries before he could get the question out.

“You should stop thinking and eat. I want to go to sleep soon.”

“I can’t help it. You were being quiet first!” Aladdin held up a few of his own fries only to see Judal roll his eyes. He leaned forward and ate from his hands, making Aladdin grin and grab a few more. It was fun to do this. Judal’s tongue touched his hand and Aladdin blushed a bit, taking a sip of his drink before he found that their food was gone… the fries at least.

He took the burger from the bag and unwrapped part of it, holding it up for Judal to eat before the other stared at him. “I can eat that myself.”

“I want to keep going.”

“Fine,” replied, leaning forward and taking a bite.

They ate like that for a while before Aladdin felt an actual yawn come up. He was pulled into Judal’s arms before the man wiped his mouth. The empty bags of food were tossed into a nearby seat. Their drinks were left on the nightstand. Aladdin found himself curling into Judal’s arms a bit more.

“Do you think we can go home tomorrow?”

“We better be. Otherwise the police are paying for a hotel room.”

“We should have gone to a hotel today.” Aladdin snuggled closer and felt Judal’s lips press against his head. There was a bit of hesitation in his touch, making Aladdin look up and shake his head. “You look tired.”

“Mhmm,” the other hummed, pulling the blankets up a bit more before turning off the nearby light. The moonlight spilled into the room from a nearby window, illuminating the room.

“Judal?”

“What?”

“I hear bugs.”

“Yeah,” Judal rolled onto him a little bit nuzzling into his neck. “Those are just crickets. Damn things never shut up. I like-“

“Shhhh, listen. There’s an owl too.”

The two of them remained silent for a while, both of them listening to the sounds of nature outside. The wind blew gently, causing the drapes to move gently back and forth. Judal’s hands traced over Aladdin’s as they laid spooned together.

“Hey, Judal?”

 “What is it, Chibi?”

“Can you tell me a story?”

Judal all but paused at that, trying to think of a story to tell the kid. For the life of him though, there wasn’t a single one in mind. “I’m not a storyteller, Chibi. Go to sleep.”

“…Alright…“ but he couldn’t fall asleep. He rolled over in Judal’s arms and looked up at him a moment before snuggling in closer, wrapping his arms around the other’s waist. He would just think of something that made him happy.

He rolled over to face away from him after a minute. Then rolled back. Then rolled over-

“Are you that restless? Just go to sleep before I find you another bed.”

“I can’t fall asleep.”

“Try not thinking.”

“Juda-“

“Fine. You want a story, then here we go.” He yanked him in close and wrapped his leg around Aladdin’s legs, pinning him in place. “Once upon a time, there was a stubborn brat who came to live with a soldier that had traumatic memories. The stupid brat became some kind of security object and made everything better. The end.”

Aladdin nuzzled against him and pressed his lips to Judal’s shoulder. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me.”

“Not curious about those memories?”

“You’ll tell me if you want me to know.”

Judal went quiet as Aladdin settled in for the night. Sleep was slowly gracing him, whisking him closer and closer to unconsciousness when he heard Judal speak. “…You’re sure you don’t want to know?”

“You will tell me eventually.”

“I might not though.”

Aladdin looked back at him and smiled, pulling the blankets up over them a bit more. “Night Jugemuruda.”

“…It’s Judal, Chibi.”

The boy was fast asleep though.

 Slowly, the raven-haired man holding him stroked his hair. His hands slowly unbraiding both their hair before sleep finally came to him. That night, he slept better than he had in ages, holding the child in his arms.


	25. Chapter 25

He liked the morning, especially this morning.

Aladdin woke up first, of course, only to find that someone was cuddling him a little more than usual. His body was pressed tightly to him. His mouth was against his neck, breathing onto him heatedly.

Ah, but this was just too nice to not enjoy. He rolled over only to hear Judal mutter in his sleep. His face scrunched up in displeasure as he held onto him tighter. There was no way in hell that he was going to allow him to move. From the way he held onto him, Aladdin could tell that much. He was soon back to relaxing, nuzzling in closely and snoozing away.

“Jugemu,” Aladdin murmured, wrapping his arms around the man.

“nnghhh…” The grunt was all he received in response.

“Judaruda,” Aladdin cooed at him, brushing some of his bangs out of his face. The other was so much more interesting this way. He was probably long overdue for getting pleasure. There was a small voice that warned that he would have to work hard later and make sure that Judal stayed happy.

But he wasn’t like that. He didn’t want that kind of thing.

Then again he hadn’t disliked it…

There was too much to think about. Whether or not he admitted it, he had liked it and it was his job. The trouble from before… It couldn’t have just been a coincidence that all this stuff was happening. He had heard about things like this happening to some of the other slaves. They would be stolen back, resold, used, bartered; whatever people wanted.

Aladdin looked down at Judal’s shirt and his hands on it.

Was he even supposed to get this comfortable? It felt so nice and Judal made him feel so welcome, but in the end there was a world that separated them. It was why he could never go back to his father ever again. He wasn’t meant to. Solomon’s friends had been those traders, hadn’t they?

He couldn’t remember.

He had wanted to see Solomon and had ended up going through all this trouble.

Anything else was too much to think about. His memories were hazy and distorted.

A hand traced up his side, cupping his face. It caused him to jump before he noticed Judal was awake. Those red eyes were staring into his eyes and watching him carefully. His face was still carrying that serene expression.

“You look deep in thought.”

“Do I?”

“Mhmm,” the other stared at him a moment before he glanced towards the room. His head leaned forward before his lips were on Aladdin’s. Those lips parted his gently before Aladdin felt his eyes close. He leaned into the kiss, feeling Judal tilt his head.

Yes, that was what he had wanted.

He leaned up a bit more as Judal started to pull back. His hands clung to his chest before Judal was sitting up, holding him in his arms. “Chibi, I need to get dressed.”

“I was enjoying that,” the boy complained, earning nothing but a soft snort.

“Come on, the others are probably up already.” Judal stood up from the bed and Aladdin wrapped his arms around him. He tugged on him, trying to bring him back over. “Chi-Chibi!”

“Stay here with me.”

“We have things-“

“Can we continue later?”

“Continue later, continue later. You’re a demanding little thing!” He leaped onto the bed and began to tickle his sides, causing Aladdin to break out into a fit of giggling. He rolled around on the sheets, laughing uncontrollably. He couldn’t stop himself from tossing and kicking on the bed. Judal’s person leaning over him a bit more. “What’s the matter chibi? I thought you wanted this.”

“JUDAL! AHHH! IT TICKLES!”

A knock came to the door, but Judal continued to play with the boy, tickling him until Aladdin pulled himself up enough that he could leap onto him and start tickling him back. The two of them were on one another. Judal gasping a bit and trying his best not to cry out into a fit of laughter. He couldn’t stop snickering though.

The knocking came louder as Judal sat up and tickled the boy back more.

“JUDAAAAA!” Aladdin started to roll away when their hair knotted enough together finally to stop them. They ended up yanking their hair a bit more. With a yelp, Judal leaned against him and cursed.

“Of all the things to happen…”

“Sorry,” Aladdin cuddled close against him.

“Morning,” a voice spoke up behind them. They both looked back to see Ja’far standing in the doorway.

“Something wrong,” Judal asked.

“Ah, no. I was just coming to wish you both good morning. Sinbad and I made some breakfast.”

“That’s nice. We’re trying to untangle.” Judal grabbed their hair and started to work on separating the blue and black strands.

Ja’far walked across the room and settled on the bed as well, making Aladdin blush a bit as Ja’far opened the nightstand and pulled out a brush. “I’ll help out.”

“It’s alrigh-“

“You’re guests. I really don’t mind,” Ja’far interrupted to say. His hands combed through their hair carefully, shaking his head. “I’ve had to do this a few times before anyway. You wouldn’t believe the shit Sinbad has gotten tangled in his hair. I really want to know what the allure of having long hair is. You could cut your hair and not have to ever worry about these situations.”

“I’d rather lose a body part,” Aladdin replied.

“I’m with Chibi. There’s no way in hell I would cut my hair.” Judal pulled a bit more of his hair free from Aladdin’s.

“I don’t quite understand, but that’s alright.” Ja’far smiled a bit more. “It’s nice to be able to help you both out. Do you both have plans for today?”

“I’m going to be getting out house back police free and we’re probably going to relax inside for a bit. It’s been a short weekend and we’re really just wanting to enjoy Sunday inside, relaxing on the couch.”

“Yeah, we need to finish Harry Potter too,” Aladdin added.

“I think we have a copy around here.” Ja’far offered. “we’re going to be having Solomon come back in a few hours to talk about business too. It would be nice for him to be able to apologize for his behavior yesterday. He was out of it completely.”

“Yeah, seemed out of it.” Judal pulled the last bits of their hair apart before stealing the brush from Ja’far. “Hold still, Chibi. I need to braid your hair.”

“Alright.”

Ja’far watched a minute longer before standing up. “I’ll meet you both in the kitchen when you are done.”

“We could finish up in there,” Aladdin offered, looking back at Judal.

“Chibi, what did I say about moving?”

“Sorry.”

He tossed the braid over Aladdin’s shoulder before getting up. He headed towards the other side of the room and tossed his shirt aside before picking up the clothes he had hung up the night before. They must have been dry now. He settled them back into place and tossed some clothes towards the bed at Aladdin.

“Thanks, Judal,” Aladdin thanked before he started to put his own clothes on. As soon as the door was shut and Ja’far was gone, Aladdin found himself lifted up, his shirt being set into place. He wrapped his arms around Judal’s shoulders and played a bit with Judal’s hair as the man carried him towards the hallway.

“We’re leaving after breakfast.”

Aladdin nodded. “I hope it’s good.”

“If it isn’t we’ll pretend you have a belly ache and we’ll leave.”

Giving a nod, he let the other carry him into the main room and head towards the stainless steel kitchen where Sinbad and Ja’far sat. Sinbad looked up from the papers he was looking at and shook his head. “You two are attached at the hip, aren’t you?”

“Why do you say that?” Judal dumped Aladdin into a seat before sitting down himself, frowning as he began to eat.

“I just haven’t seen a really caring parent in a while. I mean, not that caring…”

“I don’t treat him any different from normal people.”

“Maybe not,” Sinbad straightened his papers before smiling. “In any case, we really hope that you’re taking my offer for you to join the company seriously. There’s a lot that we have planned and expansion into new areas that would be good to have someone with experience working behind.”

Judal gave him a look before forking some of the food from Aladdin’s plate. “Oi, Chibi. What are you doing? You need to eat.”

He couldn’t look away from the papers Sinbad had. There was something about human traders on them. What were they all about? Why would someone like him and Ja’far have those kind of- were they traders?

There wasn’t any time to think about such things though. Judal was poking his face with some scrambled eggs. “Chibi, chibi. Stop being nosy and eat.”

“These aren’t a good topic of discussion,” Ja’far added in. “We’re doing some research for a friend of ours. You would be surprised how organized some criminals are.”

Now Judal was interested, looking over at the papers as well and pulling them over. “Ahlad Solomon? Who the hell is this?”

“Solomon’s son.” Sinbad shook his head. “We’ve been doing research into where he was kidnapped to. The boy was stolen years ago and we’ve taken the police records, but they only track Ahlad through Argentina. It gets hazy from there and the information stops after one sighting. They aren’t even sure it was him.”

“Why bother looking? What’s gone is gone.” Judal looked passive for some reason.

“Wouldn’t you search to the ends of the Earth for anything you lost?” Sinbad stared at him. “If someone took Aladdin-“

“No one will ever take Aladdin.” The absolute certainty in his voice was deafening. There was no doubt, no conditions or anything. He left no room for it. His gaze was hard as he stared at Ja’far and Sinbad. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that you don’t let go of what’s yours. You hold onto it and you keep it close. You have family but want to start a new life? You take them with you. You have a prized possession, you covet it. Someone is after you, you kill them if they want to kill you and you sue them if they want to hurt you. From Solomon’s griping yesterday, it sounds like he’s nothing but a weasel who thinks that leaving and coming back is possible in real life just like it is in video games.” He paused for a moment to munch on a bit more food before speaking again. “People like that… disgust me.”

“Ah… I see,” Sinbad nodded, looking at the papers again before speaking. “Don’t you think that everyone is entitled to a mistake though? No one is perfect. Sometimes you are going to say the wrong thing or do something bad.”

“Yes, but you better be ready to face your consequences instead of hiding behind a bottle of booze on a Saturday night.”

Ja’far smiled slightly, standing up and taking the papers with him. “I agree, Judal. Not everyone thinks that way though.”

“We usually call those people idiots.”

“Don’t you think there should be some kind of politeness given to those who go through a loss. I mean- Solomon’s lost his wife, his son. He’s lost everything important-“

“You little brat, you’re making a mess of your face,” Judal wiped at his face for a minute before standing up to grab a paper towel from nearby. Aladdin squirmed at his attentions. His face scrunched up as he tried to bat the hands away.

“Jugemuda! Stop!”

“Hold still so I can finish wiping your face off.”

Ja’far smiled more before moving to grab a pan from the table. “Would you both like a little more to eat?”

“Enough eating. Come on, we’ll go swimming a bit before you both-“ Sinbad didn’t get to finish though. Judal stood up and took the empty plates to the sink.

“We should be heading back.”

“That makes sense.”

“What do you mean?” The purple haired company owner stared at them in shock. “We could relax, grab some snacks and do a bit of chilling in the hot tub. It’s smaller than the pool so Aladdin won’t have to worry about drowning or any-“

“Sin, they should reclaim their house. The police no doubt want them to do a look through of the house. If you don’t mind though, Judal, I would really like to have a word with you.”

“Go grab our things and head to the car, Chibi. I’ll meet up unless you need to use the restroom.”

“Alright.”

Ja’far waited until the boy was gone before he pulled a folder out from the desk. “I was planning to give you this yesterday, but I was caught up in things and after the accident… Well, it was just a bit hard. Anyway, if you look through here you’ll see a job description and a starting salary.”

“A what?” Judal took the folder and looked through it. His insides froze as he saw the salary. “…this is three times what I make.”

“We know.” Sinbad set his feet on the table and sipped at his morning juice. “The Kou corporation pays lousy paychecks. I think it has to do with the lack of federal and national funding. It’s always much more fun when the nations want to pay for everything.”

“I happen to like the workplace.” Judal almost closed the folder, but it was hard…

There were benefits listed there. A lot of them. There was a promise of many things and more flexible hours there.

Hell, there was travel funding.

There was also a listing of family benefits he wouldn’t get in his company.

It was impossible to close those options away so simply. He couldn’t do such a thing. Instead he set it at his side.

Ja’far seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. He leaned back and crossed his arms, smiling a bit. “Our offer is going to remain standing until the final brick is set into place on the new building. You have another two weeks to decide. Everything in there is binding. We have a great family benefits plan and you might remember from your interview with us a while back that we’re located right next to the school buildings.”

“Yeah, I remember that.”

“Judal!” Aladdin came running back in and held up his phone. “Judaruda, your phone is ringing.”

“Please let me know whichever decision you make,” Ja’far told him. Judal wrapped his arm around Aladdin’s shoulder and nodded.

“Thanks for the place to sleep.”

“Feel free to come back any time,” Ja’far replied. “If you are both available on Friday, there’s a good movie playing in theaters. Or we could just relax here and enjoy a night in.”

“Gotta answer this,” Judal waved his phone a minute before answering, leading Aladdin with their things to the car. Aladdin shoved the bag and bear into the backseat before climbing in his usual place. He snuggled into his seat and buckled in. His waving back at Ja’far couldn’t be described as anything else but cute.

Ja’far waved back just as happily, whacking a wine holding Sinbad back into the house.

Meanwhile Judal was talking on the phone. He listened for another few minutes before he hung up, driving down the road and cursing.

“What’s wrong?”

“Our house is fine and they’re going to let us back in and get the hell out.”

Aladdin frowned, “Isn’t that what we wanted?”

“Yes, but they’re keeping my Glock 17.”

“Oh… you mean your gun?”

“Yes, I mean my gun.” Judal cursed again before looking towards the clock on the dash. “I’m taking tomorrow off.”

“That sounds good to me.”

Judal sat for another moment before he pushed that folder over at Aladdin. “I was thinking about switching companies.”

“Switching… you want to go work for them?” Aladdin opened the folder and stared at everything. “What is all this?”

“That is all the things I would be doing and things I would get back for working with them.”

“But you like your job, don’t you?”

“Chibi, I have two weeks to decide whether I want to move and I happen to like travel benefits and I like vacation.”

Aladdin shook his head. “Won’t your bosses be mad?”

“Not their life, not their problem.”

They were getting close to home. There weren’t any more police cars or anything. There wasn’t any sign of the trouble from the day before, but there was a series of papers in the mailbox when Judal stopped to check it.

Aladdin looked over at him and frowned. “What about Solomon? He’s looking for me… He has Sinbad and Ja’far looking too. If they find me…” He didn’t want to think about it. He was worried for Judal. He had been right about things this morning too. People needed to keep what was important to them with them.

“Chibi,” Judal stopped in the driveway and waited for the garage door to go up. “…I can work for Sinbad and Ja’far, getting those benefits plus whatever they want to add on top of that, or I can continue to work for my current bosses. Considering the fact that Kouha went to my house just three hours after it was robbed. Don’t you think that’s a little suspicious?”

“Kouha came here?”

“Yes he did.” Judal set the garage down before climbing out of the car. “Come on, Chibi. Let’s grab a change of clothes and get to where we’re going to spend the night.”

“We’re going somewhere else?”

“Kind of,” Judal motioned him into the house before he walked through the main room, searching through the place carefully. He moved things, searching around carefully before he went to the kitchen. Slowly he was looking through things while Aladdin yawned, grabbing some clothes and settling into a place at the kitchen table.

He nuzzled his bear while Judal went into the other rooms for a moment before returning with clothes. He shook his head. “Looks like things are clear.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah, come on though.” Judal motioned him up and headed for the closet, opening it up before he grabbed the phone from the hook and opened the door. “In we go.”

“The closet?”

Judal smirked and kicked at the back, making the back door go up. He flipped on the light and motioned him down. “We have a secret basement. Impossible to find.”

“oh…” Impossible for most people maybe. He walked down the stairs though, moving carefully until he reached the bottom and walked into the basement room. He looked around and frowned. “You have so many guns.”

“Yes, I do.” Judal was replacing everything back to where they belonged before he looked around. “I keep my valuable and important things in here. Plus it never hurts to hide your guns. The last thing you want is some stupid ass cop taking your gun and keeping it because they want to make sure it hasn’t been shot or anything.”

Aladdin looked around a bit more before he moved back to the bookshelf. His hands went over the books before he paused. “What’s this one?”

The red book made Judal give a soft snort before he pulled him away. “Propaganda. I used to be really into reading all that war shit. Still do, but…”

Aladdin looked up at him and caught a glimpse of the expression on the other’s face. The pain that was so evident in his every features, from the lifeless glint in Judal’s eyes to the way his whole body tensed. Something bad had happened when Judal had been in the war.

He couldn’t help but to move forward, dropping his things before he hugged Judal tightly. “…I remember when I was… I remember before when I used to hear new people come in. They were scared and would cry all the time. Sometimes they would try to talk to me when we got a room together. They would want to work together to escape, but the traders would always turn us against one another. The new people always fell for it. The older ones were crazy and didn’t need to be told anything. By the time you are Sinbad’s age, you’re usually trying to have sex with everything or you die in the room.”

“Life sucks,” Judal replied softly, ruffling his hair a minute before he sat down on the sofa and shut his eyes. He looked close to talking though. Only a fool would stop talking right now.

“I was kept away from people most of the time. The last few memories I have that are really clear is me being sick. My master was really mad about it. He would beat me until I couldn’t take it anymore. Then he would have his wife put these weird creams on me. They were supposed to hide scars and let wounds heal shut so I was still pretty.” He said that last word with a lot of distain. “It makes me want to cry in happiness being here. No one wants to hurt me anymore. There’s no suspicion or pain.”

No pain or suspicion at all. 

Judal looked down at him a moment before shaking his head. His arms moved forward and pulled him closer, tucking a nearby blanket around their bodies. “…According to those two idiots your name is Ahlad.”

“According to you and I, it’s Aladdin. Aladdin Magi.” Aladdin rested his head against Judal’s shoulder.

“Yes, it is.”

“Can we get food delivered here?”

“I’m thinking pizza for tonight.” Judal looked down at him a moment before leaning in close. “What’s the smile about, Aladdin?”

Aladdin couldn’t stop himself from grinning more. Being called out was only making him blush a little before he answered. “It’s nothing.”

“That is the biggest lie I have ever heard,” Judal murmured. He leaned in closer and stared at him a moment. He waited right there, right against him before he finally spoke. “Chibi, you’ve got a pair of bright red chibi cheeks.”

“I was just thinking that you look nice when you smile and are open with me.”

Judal frowned. “I look nice?”

“I love when you smile.”

“I see…” Judal’s red eyes looked at him carefully. “You wouldn’t happen to be trying to seduce me, would you?”

“I don’t like you worried or bothered.”

“And spreading your little thighs and plunging into you is supposed to change that for me?”

 Aladdin wrapped his arms around Judal’s neck, holding him closer and looking directly at him. His fingers buried themselves into his hair before he leaned in close enough to feel the heat of Judal’s breath on his lips. He could feel Judal’s arms wrap around him and smiled in response. “I love you,” he murmured, feeling Judal kiss him in response.

“One last time,” he replied between kisses.

Aladdin nodded hastily, feeling Judal kiss him more and more gently. His body was pressed down against the sofa cushions. He closed his eyes and forgot about everything else.

Today it was just him and Judal. No family, no past; just the two of them.


	26. Chapter 26

Their hair fell loose of their ties as their bodies moved against one another. His mouth melded against Judal’s, head turning so that they could get closer. There was a hint of peach on the other’s lips for some reason. He didn’t remember there being any peaches in any recent meals though. The taste was uniquely Judal’s.

Aladdin found he couldn’t deny how much he liked it. His eyes closed as he left himself get lost in the feelings. He leaned into the touch a bit more and coaxed Judal’s tongue to play with his. His arms travelled down his body, touching whatever he could.

He hoped it was his story that had brought this about. Maybe they could really just connect on an emotional level. Judal could love him completely for everything. He knew the other loved when he said ‘I love you’. The way his eyes were gleaming and the way he had broken into kissing him like this told him that. If he could just talk to him about his own past.

Judal had set him free from his past. He would set him free as well.

Whatever had pained Judal, he would fully figure it out and help him.

Judal’s mouth touched his chest and he lost all his thoughts. They left him so fast that he couldn’t breathe. He dug his nails into Judal’s back and clung to him tightly, letting out a groan. Those lips were pressed against him, tongue lapping at his nipple. It swirled around in a manner that was sending butterflies to his belly. He could feel a warmth overwhelm his person.

What was this? He wondered as he tried to hold back those emotions.

He pulled on Judal’s hair, trying to yank him up higher. The other moved to kiss him again, but it was not like he had expected. Judal’s mouth pressed against his a moment before he was working his way along his jaw, nipping and sucking on him. He leaned back, letting Judal move down to his neck.

“Ju-“

Judal moved back up to kiss him and murmured gently. “Shhhh, chibi. Shhh.”

He looked up at him and murmured gently at him. “I love you.” It was soft, heartfelt. He said it with all the emotion he could muster. He loved everything. From Judal’s behavior to his body. He loved the way Judal made his decisions and he loved his loyalty.

Judal’s mouth moved actively to his neck, biting down hard on it before he felt a pair of hands on his legs. They were spread out immediately. His hands wondered down lower, running along his thighs slowly, taking his time to run his fingers over the skin. It was slow, tender. His mouth moving along his neck at the same time.

Murmur something, Aladdin begged with his body. He held his thighs more open, he clung to him tighter. His moans of encouragement and pleasure were hopefully going to get to him. He wanted- no needed to hear it. If only he would return that love to him.

But was this kind of thing love itself, he wondered at the same time. Surely no other form of this kind of thing was this nice. He had heard screams during such things, pleas and tears being given for it to stop. He didn’t want this to stop though. He wanted to have Judal remain with him like this forever.

His body was feeling too hot now. The heat mixing with the pressure that was gathering up within him. This was too nice. It was wonderful and making him begin to shake.

“Ju… jud… ahh…” He turned his head away only to feel it pulled back into view. Judal’s fingers moved to his mouth, pushing into his mouth before he moved them around.

“You will need to wet these,” he murmured. Aladdin was on it immediately. He couldn’t help but to try hard to wet them as much as he could.

They were moved down to his ass soon enough before he felt the first finger enter him. Judal moved to continue kissing him. His other hand running along his belly and chest. It was so nice. He moaned into the touch, trying to ignore the pain. This was Judal. It shouldn’t hurt. Judal was touching him in such subtle ways, ways that were making him want to moan a bit more.

He could feel the second finger move into him and something broke in him.

He just wanted to hear something so badly. Tears began to form, falling from his eyes as he held onto Judal tight. He couldn’t look at Judal right now. It didn’t make sense to him, but he just…

“Were my fingers not lubed enough?” Judal’s face appeared over him as he felt the hand that had been inside him move out. Those hands pulled his face to look up at him and Judal stroked his face. Those burgundy eyes knew everything. It felt like he was laid bare before him. His clothes were gone, his hair unbound; he was completely open to the other’s whims.

Yet Judal just kissed him again, pressing against him as his hardon rubbed against his leg. He still couldn’t look at him though. Aladdin’s eyes closed shut, his arms holding him more until the other was speaking quietly to him.

“Chibi…” That voice was so soft, so much different than how he spoke to everyone else. “Chibi, look at me or I’m going to stop.”

He wouldn’t stop. There was an erection waiting to delve into him and he wouldn’t stop so soon… would he? Aladdin looked up at him slowly before he felt Judal’s lips press against his cheeks, his hands wiping away all the tears on his face.

“There you are. I’m going to push in.”

He pushed in before Aladdin could fathom those words. His face buried against Judal’s neck as he cried out. It was worth it.  It had felt better after a minute before. There was no reason why it wouldn’t turn out any different this time. So he clung onto him as tightly as he could, letting the pain he was feeling be apparent through his nails digging into Judal’s back. He could smell the scent of sweat on the other’s skin a bit.

He couldn’t close his mouth. The small cries were escaping him, increasing when Judal moved faster inside him. He bit down on Judal’s neck only to hear him hiss. His body moved faster. His body was shaking though.

“Damn it… Chibi, I am going to break you at this rate,” Judal breathed.

He sucked on Judal’s neck like the other had done for him and he could feel the other shiver in return. His weight came down on him a bit more and he ran his hands along Judal’s chest. The feel of those hard abs against him. It was like the muscle was coiled beneath his skin, just waiting to be used.

He could feel precum escaping him as he mewled at the older man. “Jugemu…” He pulled back and looked up at him only to feel Judal lean in and kiss him again. A rough slam against his prostate made his vision blur. He couldn’t think anymore.

The feel of Judal’s cum flooded his insides. His own cum sprayed against their chests as Judal let out a loud long moan. His name was on Judal’s lips. Aladdin pulled him in and kissed him again, feeling him pull out after a few minutes to lay next to him. Their lips continued to press together. Judal continued to stroke his arms, his sides, kissing his neck and chest now and then.

“We should do this more often,” Aladdin told him, earning a small laugh before Judal held him tighter.

“You’re bad for me, you know that.” Judal tugged the blanket back over them before he kissed him again.

“I love you.” It was a hoarse sounding confession. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to hear it again. Why wouldn’t Judal say it back. He had seen Ja’far and Sinbad murmur it the night before. It was after just a kiss too. They had gone further than them.

Judal held him closer, playing with his hair a bit as he nodded. “You said that, Chibi.”

Aladdin looked up at him and said it again, seeing the conflict in the other’s features. Judal kissed him again, but Aladdin touched his erection, feeling it coming slowly back into full attention.

“Chibi,” Judal was holding his breath, his eyes widening as Aladdin touched him.

Aladdin ran his hand along the other’s shaft and repeated his statement.

“…I love you too, Chibi.”

Aladdin smiled, nuzzling into his arms and kissing his chest. He had said it. Aladdin couldn’t believe it. He stroked Judal more only to hear it repeated again.

That was perfect. Aladdin settled into his arms and felt Judal pull his hand off. “We’ve done that enough for now, you’re bleeding a little, brat.”

Aladdin shook his head and smiled. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Judal still pulled away to get up and grab some things to clean him up with. He was unusually tender, making Aladdin feel more and more wanted. He pulled Judal into his arms again and kissed him. Judal had grabbed the tablet too, turning it on and going to where they had left off in the story. His voice echoed in his ears as he read the story further, making Aladdin feel lulled closer to sleep.

This was what it felt like to be loved, huh…

It felt nice, like a part of him was finally full.

He didn’t ever want to leave him.

Judal stared over at him a moment before he continued reading, soon enough sending Aladdin into a deep slumber. 


	27. Chapter 27

Judal woke up before Aladdin in the morning. The boy was collected into his arms again for a moment before he settled him more onto the couch. He tucked the blanket around the boy’s person and moved away, gathering his things to head out. He went up the stairs, finding the house to be as deserted as before. For that, he was grateful. He was tired of all this nonsense.

He headed to his room and changed into different clothes, tucking his hidden gun into the waistband of his pants before he was grabbing his bag and things. He was halfway to the door when he stopped.

Should he do something specific for Aladdin, he wondered a bit before casting the thought aside. He had to get to work.

His hand wrapped around the door knob before he found himself staying in place. He couldn’t move forward from there for some reason. Too much had happened this weekend. He was running late anyway. It wouldn’t hurt…

What was the worst they could do? Fire him? He could just go work with Sinbad and the others.

He sent a call in to Kougyoku, hearing her complain for a moment before he let go of the door. This wasn’t going to happen in the end. He couldn’t help himself. He headed to the sink in a foul mood, dumping his bag at the table.

He had told Aladdin that he wouldn’t go to work, but he needed to think. He needed the time away to think and to make some decisions about what had happened?

Once more he had given in and let the boy do that with him. He had made the boy bleed and he had said that he had loved him. It was so wrong. It was against his morals. Children were meant to be annoying pests seen from afar, not living with him. He was not one for dating or love. He wasn’t even one to have friends. What the hell was he doing?

He grabbed a pan from nearby and cracked a few eggs, beginning to cook some food while the boy slept in the basement. What was he supposed to do with that brat?

There was no way he would be able to remain just a houseguest forever. Time didn’t allow such things. If he died or something, there would be nothing for the boy to do. He was smart and was learning, but last night…

He had been a little too close.

The boy had gone over all the walls that Judal had set up. He was walking through them as though they weren’t there. He was gaining more ground at a rate faster than Judal could understand. He found himself wanting to walk back downstairs and wrap his arms around the boy’s person, maybe kissing his forehead and watching those blue eyes blearily look up at him. He could already see a sleepy smile on the boy’s face as he would say good morning and lean up to kiss him back.

What was with this kissing need?

It was too much contact, too much affection.

He stabbed at the eggs a moment as he tried to regain his self-control. Aladdin was smart. He was smart and a bit manipulative. It was to be expected of a young child coming from that kind of thing. There was no doubt in his mind that the fragile demeanor and all that agreeing and adoring was just something he had picked up in the business. Aladdin had said he had been in that business for years.

But he was so weak!

It brought another feeling into his being. Where normally such signs of weakness made him want to shake his head and gag, the boy was making him feel dominant perhaps? He made him feel like he was needed again. There was no one else that could take care of Aladdin like he could. There was no one that had the smarts to keep him away from that past.

Then the boy helped him too.

All those nightmares of the war were gone. There wasn’t a single feeling of scorn for what had happened with Titus and Yunan. He didn’t give a crap about the troubles of those two anymore. He didn’t get told that he needed to go to therapy every damn day by someone at the office. He stared down at his hands as he listened to the sound of the eggs beginning to really cook.

His hands had been shaking the other night. He had lost all control and Aladdin had been the one able to put him back together. Somehow that kid had helped to soothe him.

The eggs were burning, he soon realized, dumping the food onto a plate and setting it on the table. His computer was soon out and booting up as he grabbed a fork and settled into place. He pulled up the internet and found himself looking into the idea of him being some kind of comforting object.

It was always inanimate objects though. It was never a person.

Judal ran a hand through his hair as he tried another search. One after another, clicking links and reading carefully. He leaned over his keyboard a bit more as he stared at his screen from up close. There had to be a reason for this. There had to be some kind of reasoning for his attachment to Aladdin.

“Come on!”

He pounded the table before he paused. Was he looking for the wrong thing? What was the right thing in this case?

He looked up his problems. What others said were his problems anyway, and the results came up quickly. He found himself adding in the night trouble and he had a name. It couldn’t be Post Traumatic Stress though. It was too normal for this feeling in him. It sounded so much tamer. He had bigger issues than that.

But it said a lot of what he felt.

The closet door opened and Aladdin climbed out, looking around before he smiled. “Judar!”

“It’s Judal, Chibi,” Judal told him once more before he felt the other come over and wrap his arms around him. The blue haired boy nuzzled against him affectionately.

“Sorry. Can I have some of that food?”

Judal glanced over to realize he still had almost a full plate. “Ah, shit. Just go heat it up in the microwave and we’ll have it together.” He went back to his research as Aladdin nodded, hurrying to heat up the eggs and bringing them back. The boy settled against his side and began to eat, sliding his chair a bit closer to look at what he was reading.

“Jugemu, what’s post-traumatic stress syndrome?”

“A problem from seeing something terrible.”

“Oh… I have that then,” Aladdin began to poke him with a few pieces of eggs. “Judal, you should eat this too.”

“I had enough.” Judal held the hand away, but Aladdin persisted. His other hand pulled the fork now and pushed it towards the man again.

“You have hardly eaten. These were cold and I don’t think you had much more. The whole plate was full.”

“I ate a bit.”

Aladdin huffed at him before jabbing at his face again with the food.

“chi-ah,” Judal couldn’t talk around the food being shoved into his mouth. He ate it, having no other choice in the matter and looked over as Aladdin stabbed a few more eggs onto his fork. He took the fork into hand and began to eat a bit more. There really wasn’t any choice in the matter. The boy was going to try to feed him one way or another.

“So why are you looking all this up?”

“Hmm?”

Aladdin motioned at the computer screen. “Why do you need to know this?”

“I was just looking up a few things. You should be studying anyway.” Judal shut the laptop and shook his head at the boy’s pout. “Don’t give me that.”

“I really wanted to spend the day with you again.”

“I’m going to be busy.” Judal moved to stand up when he saw the other make a face. The child was going to be the death of him saying such things. Instead of acknowledging his words further, he moved towards the fridge. The boy would understand that there were other things to do besides discuss their emotions. He didn’t want to think entirely of the night prior anyway.

The boy’s eyes were focused on him entirely as he spoke. “…Alright, I’ll do my work.” He moved to stand up. “I love you.”

“Chibi…”

“I love you,” Aladdin repeated, moving over to the other’s side. His arms wrapped around him as he pressed against his back. That face pressing into his back.

“ch-“ Judal could hardly speak when he felt the other touch him. Aladdin’s hands were on his crotch before he could say much of anything. His body pressed up against his own before those eyes were giving a familiar glint.

That look he remembered from the night before only too well. He could feel the boy turning him on quickly. He knew exactly what he was doing and how to keep it up. That thin frame was pressing against his own. That small, starting to get some fat belly of his was pressed against him.

Those deep blue eyes though! They were hypnotizing, drawing him in as Aladdin cuddled him. He pulled him down until their lips were touching. Those little soft lips moved against his own. Judal found himself falling to his knees as the boy moved his hands a certain way on his cock.

This was bad. This was so bad.

Judal couldn’t stop himself when he wrapped his arms around the boy. He found himself being pushed gently onto his own kitchen floor, the boy climbing over him. His little butt plopped right onto his stomach as the boy leaned over his head. Their mouths moved against one another’s more. Judal felt the boy run his hands up his chest and Judal felt his heart skip a beat as the boy ran his hands over his neck. It felt like his body was just right back on fire for the kid.

Just like how fast the panic attack had hit him, his body was rolling over and pinning the boy down. The adrenaline and excitement was running through him as he ravished at the boy’s mouth. He could feel the boy’s smile as they kissed. His hands ran down the boy’s boxer clad body as he felt the boy shiver.

“I love you,” Aladdin murmured.

Judal stopped. Ripping the boy’s hands off his body, he panted into the boy’s face a little as he tried to get himself back together. Aladdin tried to lean up to grind against him and he pushed away from him.

“Stop.”

“Judal?” Aladdin stared at him a moment before shaking his head. “Sorry. I got excited. We had so much fun last night.”

“We need to have a talk about that.”

Aladdin pushed himself up and shook his head. “We don’t need to talk. It’ll be fine. I need to get dressed and take a bath.” He was already rushing off before Judal could get another word in, his feet scrambling into the other bedroom to grab some clothes before he was rushing to the bathroom to bathe.

That little shit, he thought as he grabbed the counter to stand up. The kid was avoiding him because he knew. There was no doubt in his mind that the kid knew he was going to say something he wouldn’t like so he had sprinted off to avoid it.

He gave a slight glare towards the bathroom door before he headed back to the table. Sex was not how to get his love. He didn’t even love. Last night had just been a shock to him. He could have said anything the boy had told him right back to him. Aladdin could have said he was a lesbian and he probably would have said he was one back.

Saying he loved the boy had been a fluke. The boy’s ability to stop his post-traumatic stress problem was another story. Judal couldn’t help but to like that. It was nice to feel whole again.

With that in mind and a plan to toss the little brat on the couch and talk to him after his bath; Judal sat back down at his computer and pulled back up his internet windows. There was still a lot of questions he wanted answered.


	28. Chapter 28

 

Judal waited for the boy for a while, settling in soon enough before a long paper on the importance of competence in the field of arms. His eyes glanced up at the clock before he decided he had had enough. “Aladdin!” He stood up, pushing his chair aside to head towards the bathroom. “Chibi!” He knocked on the door, but there wasn’t an answer.

His hand was on the door and foot kicking the door in before he could realize what he was doing. The boy looked up in a panic, splashing the floor and area in water before he realized it was him.

“Don’t do that!” Aladdin held onto his chest as he shook his head. “You scared me, Jugemu.”

“You weren’t answering me.”

“I was in the middle of something.”

Judal’s gaze dropped to the water, soon enough closing his eyes at what he had seen. “We did it last night.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just… I can’t help it. It feels good when it’s you, but my hands will have to do the job.”

“You’re using me.” It came out like an accusation, but he didn’t mean it. He told himself he didn’t mean it. Even though there was a part of him that seemed offended by the boy’s words, he couldn’t fathom why. Aladdin seemed to be reading that part of him though. Those little hands grabbed the tub as he quickly was shaking his head.

“No no! It’s nothing like that! I know you need time. You don’t want to do it all the time and you said when I had urges to take them to the bathroom so I’m in here doing just what you said.”

He nodded, but his feet wouldn’t take him away from the scene. Aladdin stared up at him with such guilty eyes. It was his fault the boy was-

This was exactly what the problem was though! He needed to get his act together and get the boy focused on other things. What the hell did sex addicts do to not have sex? He tried to think of anything in the media he had seen. He had never had this kind of trouble before. There had to be a simple solution to this.

“Judal… Ah, you staring at me is kind of nice.” Aladdin blushed a bit, but his mouth twisted into a cute little embarrassed smile. His body turned away from him, his hair was slick against his back as he grabbed the shampoo from nearby and started to wash his hair.

“What are you doing, Chibi?”

“I just want to wash up the rest of the way before I ruin the bathwater.” He shook his head. “Can you grab me a towel or two? I forgot to set a couple out for myself.”

The shirt dropped to the floor within a minute. His pants soon following. The tie hit the door, attracting Aladdin’s attention. Judal moved over towards the tub, dropping his boxers on the way before his hands were on his hair, pulling the ties out before he stepped into the bathtub as well.

Aladdin didn’t mention a word about it. He didn’t complain or praise him. His eyes were bright though, excitement evident in them. He wrapped his arms around his body as Judal sat down in the tub with him. The boy curled up in his arms and kissed his chest. His smile made him feel welcome, even though his mind screamed for him to turn back and run.

“Can you lather for me,” Aladdin asked, looking up at him pleadingly.

“I still want to have that talk,” Judal told him, his hands moving to take his hair into hand. He moved carefully, scrubbing at his scalp and behind his ears.

“W-we don’t have to talk. I know that what we did is not to be shared. I won’t tell anyone. I know you don’t want to do that all the-“

“Why are you so intent on sex?”

Aladdin paused, staring at the water in front of him. The naked kid wasn’t going to be able to go not answering the question. He wasn’t going to allow that. He needed answers.

“Chibi…”

“You said you loved me.”

That word, that damn word; it was as though it was something important. Kougyoku threw it around. Sinbad and Ja’far threw it around. What the hell was so important about fucking love? Judal sucked in a shaky breath. “Why is sex so important to you?”

Aladdin turned around, but Judal grabbed his hands. He knew exactly where the brat was heading with those little hands of his. He wasn’t going to have that. He pushed them against the floor of the tub and leaned forward, staring into those surprised eyes with bemusement.

“Answer me.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“chibi,” Judal leaned a little closer. “Tell me why?”

The light was gone, his features were bleaker. He stared down at his hands, refusing to meet his gaze. There wasn’t a sound in the house except for the sound of their breathing. The quiet sound was doing nothing to the tension that was building between them.

“Answer me, Chibi. I’m not going to wait here all day.”

“I just liked it.”

He just liked it. Just liked it. That was a horrible answer. Couldn’t it be something more like ‘they told me to’ or ‘I just wanted the rush’ or something? No, he got that he just liked it. The boy pulled away and began to wash his hair again, lathering it a little more.

“I’m sorry,” he told him.

The mood was gone like that. His frustration wasn’t worth it. Not when it came to the boy. Aladdin was just being an ignorant child. Judal moved forward, wrapping his arms around the child again. He could feel the other tense up before his lips were on the boy’s shoulders. The path up to his neck was easily given to him. Aladdin leaned back against him and closed his eyes. His hands reached back to hold him close.

He was more than eager to please him. That was what bothered him. “Chibi, we’re not going to-“

The boy turned around and wrapped his arms around him before he could do anything, leaning up to kiss him. The kiss was short lived before Judal felt it. The boy climaxed right there.

“Oh, dammit brat!”

Aladdin curled up against him, pulling his arms around him tightly as he continued to spray cum over the tub and both of them. The sticky mess was getting all over the place as he held onto him tightly. Judal couldn’t do anything, even as he reached down to grab the spraying erection. Instead of making him hurry up, it made him cum that much more. His breath hitched, arms wrapping around him more only for his lips to press against him. “I lov-“

Judal began to move his hand along the boy’s erection, moving fast enough that the boy was unable to finish that comment. His eyes rolled back before he closed his eyes. A mewing escaped him as he clung to him. On and on, the boy seemed to go on. It felt like the boy would always be coming. He couldn’t see the boy coming to a close.  “You were amazing,” he breathed.

“…Damn it.” Judal yanked the chain to the drain up, letting the tub empty. “We’re going to have to take this damn bath over again.”

“That sounds good to me.”

“No, it’s not good. We should be doing…”

The boy stared up at him at that. “What should we be doing?”

“You should be studying…” That sounded right.

“I will do it in a little while. I always get it done.” Aladdin replaced the plug again and turned back on the water. His smile shone at Judal. “I like when we do things together instead of apart though. It gets kind of lonely without you.”

“I should sign you up for school.”

“I don’t want to go.”

“You should.”

Aladdin frowned. “Have I done something wrong? If I did something you didn’t like, you can just tell me. I am new to stuff like this so I am just trying my best and gues-“

“Stop, Chibi.” Judal leaned back and covered his eyes. “I don’t need you trying.”

Aladdin moved into his arms, settling in for what seemed to be the real deal. His eyes closed as he let out a small sigh of content. “Do you think if you went to work for Sinbad and the others that they would like you have more time off?”

“They seem to like that idea.”

“You should go work for them then.”

“Look who’s talking. I thought you liked the idea of me not working for them.” Way to change your mind, he thought to himself.

“I don’t want to go back, but if you were around more, we could do more together. I still want to go to Disneyland and see other places.”

“Let’s focus on cleaning yourself up first.”

They washed up before Aladdin was finally cleaned up again. The room was going to stink of cum for a while. He couldn’t do anything about that though. He stood up and climbed out first, grabbing his towel from under the sink before he tossed another at the boy climbing out. Aladdin shivered as he caught it.

“It’s always so cold,” he complained, hurrying over to his side and holding the towel tightly around his person.

Judal shook his head at the boy, wrapping his own towel around him before he pushed him towards his clothes. “Get dressed, Chibi.”

“You know, you don’t have to keep pushing me away when you like it too.”

“Excuse me?”

Aladdin shook his head, pulling his shirt on and trying to dry his hair in one of the towels as he sat down on the floor nearby. “I said you don’t have to pretend when we’re alone. It kind of hurts. I don’t mind waiting until we’re alone, but you are confusing me. Sometimes you are really cold and then other times you say really kind things to me and kiss me.”

“Ch-“

“Can’t you just give me a chance to really show you what I can do? We had fun at the zoo. We had fun eating together the other night and we had a good time last night reading and doing other things.” Aladdin pulled his pants on and looked at him seriously. “You won’t be open with me, but that’s okay with me. I don’t need to know all about you. I just like you as you are now. Just give me a little time to show you what I can do. If you did, you would see that I… Well, I’ll let you decide.”

“When did you become a romantic,” Judal asked exasperatedly.

“I have been studying really hard for you. You said it was important so I studied really hard all week. I knew what I wanted for as long as I remember though. I told you I love you. I mean that. I liked when you said it back to me.”

“Do you think that you are going to guilt me into this, Chibi?” Before Aladdin could move, Judal was across the room. His hands pressed against the wall, body pushing Aladdin’s person against the wall. His head leaned in close, staring at him with a bemused expression. “Do you think for a-“

“Don’t tease me please,” Aladdin looked up at him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, letting the towel that had been drying his hair before drop to the ground. “I don’t care if those slave traders told me I have to have sex with you or not. I want to. It’s not a job. I really just want to show you that I really care.”

“Chibi,” Judal ran a hand through his hair before pulling back a little. “You don’t seem to get what it means to be in a relationship. Besides, there’s too much of an age gap.”

“There isn’t though!” Aladdin let him go. “I looked it up. It’s okay if you are in certain places. A lot of couples have big age gaps and we only have six years.”

“What was that? Why six years?”

“You’re nineteen.”

“Twenty four.”

“You aren’t though.” Aladdin frowned at him. “Your picture said that you-“

“What picture?”

Aladdin winced. “I found a picture of you in your military uniform and I did some math. You’re nineteen.”

He couldn’t move when he was grabbed roughly, his arm was held up painfully high as Judal glared at him. “I’m twenty four, Chibi. Not nineteen. Not any years younger. I’m nineteen.”

“What’s the big deal-ah, it hurts. Stop.” Aladdin closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t like this. Stop.”

“Tell me how old I am.”

“You’re nineteen and you love me too.” Aladdin glared back at him after a minute, tears in his eyes but he stood his ground. “You love me a lot and you are too stupid to just love me.”

Judal growled at him, moving to hold onto him tighter, but Aladdin wrapped his legs around the other’s waist. His free arm wrapped around Judal’s shoulders.

“I lo-“

“STOP!”

“I love you,” Aladdin growled at him. “I love you a lot so stop being stubborn!”

“You are wrong.”

“You are a liar!”

“Chibi! TELL ME RIGHT NOW WHAT MY AGE IS!”

“YOU ARE NINETEEN AND YOU ARE BEING STUPID!”

“DAMN IT NO!” The stupid idiot needed to shut up and listen to him already. This was inappropriate. It was beyond wrong. “I AM TWENT-“

“NINETEEN! NINETEEN! NINETEEN!” Aladdin was repeating the word before Judal made him fall off of him. He shoved the boy onto the floor of the bathroom, listening to the loud thud of his body hitting the floor.

Aladdin covered his mouth, closing his eyes and going quiet. His body scooted away as Judal stared at him. His heart was beating erratically as the boy looked up at him. Those eyes… he knew that gaze too well.

_Marga had had that look when they had killed her. He had watched her being stabbed to death, listening to the screaming echoing into the night._

“STOP DOING THAT!” Aladdin’s voice broke through the thoughts, making him stare down at him and focus. It wasn’t… “Focus on me. Stop thinking about other things while we’re talking.”

“Chibi…”

“I can tell you were thinking about someone else just now.” Aladdin crossed his arms tightly as he pressed against the wall and door, staring up at him. “Stop lying, Judal. I hate when you lie. You are nineteen. You do love me. You do want to do things just like I do. I like being around you and you like being around me. Why do you deny it when we could be doing better things when we’re together?” He turned his head away and bit his lip. “…It hurts.”

He was down on the ground before the boy before Aladdin could move again. His arms wrapping around Aladdin to pull the tense boy into his arms. “Where does it hurt?”

“My butt hurts a lot.”

“You probably still are sore from last night.”

“My arm hurts too.”

“Let me see.”

“Just take it, you were doing so before.”

“You’re testing my patience, Chibi.” Judal pulled his arm into his hands and moved it carefully, watching the boy’s expression. “Does it hurt to move?”

“No, I think it’s just sore from you holding it.”

“Good… kind of anyway.” He set the boy’s arm back onto his lap before Aladdin stared at him.

“I’m not just a kid.”

“Don’t make us fight anymore. We’re done talking today.”

“I’m not.”

“That’s too bad then.”

“Go away then.”

“You want me to go away?” Judal gave a snort. “Let me get this straight, you want me to go away because your ass hurts and your arm is sore because I did what you wanted.”

“I didn’t want to be grabbed.”

“Right, you wanted me to love you. That’s all.” Aladdin started to turn away and Judal grabbed his arms again, forcing him to remain in place. “You look at me when you talk to me. Don’t you dare look away. We’re going to-“

“No, we’re don’t talking today. You said so! See!” He glared at him. “You say one thing, but as soon as you change your mind, then you do the opposite. You’re a liar.”

“Fine. I am a liar,” Judal agreed. “You know what? Judal isn’t even my fucking name. I just changed it to that when I ran away from my past. I did lie about my age. I am fucking nineteen, but no one cares anymore. I graduated high school just like people want kids to do.”

“You’re being rude.”

“You make it sound like I’m never an asshole. Exactly how often do you even pay attention to how I treat people? I’m always like this.”

“Fucking liar,” Aladdin moved closer, pressing his hand against Judal’s face. “If you don’t want me then tell me already.”

“I did.”

“You haven’t said anything like that.” Aladdin let him go and moved to stand up. His hands pressing against the wall to push himself up when Judal wrapped his arms around him again. Yanking that body back against him, Judal held him tightly against himself.

“I do-“

“Don’t lie to me.”

Judal turned his head to face him and stared at him a minute before Aladdin frowned at him. “You like to lie, but you won’t even tell the truth to yourself. How many lies have you tricked yourself into believing?”

“Lies, lies, lies, how many times are you going to throw that word around before you realize…” Aladdin’s hands stroked down his front, his body moving forward to press against his own chest. His hands moved to tangle in the wet strands of his hair.

“You are a liar,” Aladdin told him. “I don’t really want to talk about it. Just shut up and stop lying for a while. You did it last night. I loved it. I like when you are honest.”

Judal copied Aladdin’s actions a little, pressing him against the wall and tangling his hands in the boy’s hair in return. His eyes looked into the boy’s.

The boy thought he was a liar, huh? If only it were that simple. He didn’t love the boy. He couldn’t. There was an age gap. The boy got joy out of little things. He was happy just to wake up next to him. He needed him all the time and his future lay in his hands. There wasn’t a thing that the boy could do to stop him, yet he seemed to think he could just do what he wanted. Even though he was the one with no future, Aladdin continued to see everything in such a positive light.

Aladdin was the one who was waiting here though. His gaze was watching him to see what he would do.

“Say I did have some feelings,” Judal told him.

“Say the sun did come up every day,” Aladdin backtalked.

“Don’t get sassy with me.”

“Don’t make it sound like you don’t have feelings.”

“You’re testing my patience.”

“Good.”

“You are getting an attitude.”

“You like that. I know you well enough by now. You like when people are rude. You play pranks and laugh at people and insult them. You are the only person I have seen outside of… away from those people that actually has a gun and swings it-“

Judal pressed his lips against Aladdin’s, pulling him tightly against him and the wall. He took those words away before Aladdin went any further. The boy squirmed beneath him, hitting at his shoulders and trying to pull back. “Stop it,” Judal growled.

“You stop it!” Aladdin panted a little. “You are the one who keeps being confusing! Tell me you love me again or tell me you don’t!”

“What are you going to do if I don’t? Are you going to run off and live with daddy dearest? You think he’s not going to be a little confused why the adopted kid of a potential coworker is coming by and calling him daddy?”

“I… I don’t know what I’m going to do but I would rather know then be lied to.”

Judal moved his hand up the boy’s chest. He couldn’t avoid it, could he? The boy was going to continue to argue with him until he gave in. Aladdin had said to give him a chance. The way he was acting was kind of interesting. No one ever really stood up to him. The people at work usually listened and the Kou brothers… well they weren’t really friends anyway.

“Jugemu…”

Judal pressed his lips against the boy’s chest. “Fine. You win, Chibi.”

“I win?”

Judal moved up the boy’s person, towering over him a little as he spoke. “You’re stuck dating me now. Congratulations. You can try your little ‘I love you’s and all that.” He couldn’t deny that he liked when the boy ran to him. Being the important one was a bit of a turn on.

He was being kissed before he could think any further. Aladdin’s arms and legs were wrapped around him before he could hear the boy murmuring the I love yous over and over. His kisses never seemed to end. Judal fell back onto his back, staring up as Aladdin beamed brightly and kissed him more.

“You won’t regret this,” Aladdin promised.

“Let’s focus on getting out of the bathroom.” Judal replied.

Aladdin smirked devilishly before he slowly got up, offering his hand. “Okay. I’m still sore and my butt hurts.”

Getting up, Judal grabbed his clothes and started to finally get dressed, toweling his hair a little as Aladdin headed out of the bathroom.

“Let’s watch a movie, Judal!”

“Fine!”

“Do you want to watch the Little Me-“

“I want to watch something with real people in it!”

The doorbell rang as Aladdin said something, making him groan a bit. He headed to the door and motioned for Aladdin to find something on tv to look at. It was probably the cops with his luck. He had probably been found out. He was going to jail for pedophilia. Yep, his little newfound boyfriend was going to be visiting him in prison. That would go over well.

No, his luck wasn’t that bad. It was a hell of a lot worse.

“Judal, I heard you were sick.” Kouha smiled outside on his doorstep. “I brought you some tomato soup and some medicine.”

“It’s a little surprising to see you here.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t let a single person behind at the Kou Corporation.” Kouha winked. “It’s not like you quit.” He moved into the house and smiled over at Aladdin. “Aww, did you both take a bath together?” He winked over at Judal. “That’s the way to take a bath.” 


	29. Chapter 29

Kouha looked around, handing Judal the bag with the soup and medicine before he moved into the house, he settled into a seat next to Aladdin. “You have a really nice place, Judal.”

“Yeah, it’s better when there’s no one sick in the place.”

“You’re looking better though,” Kouha smiled at him. “Besides, we’ve missed you at work anyway. Come on back tomorrow. We’ve got a press conference and I know you want to be the one to introduce the new machine gun and hunting rifle to the world.”

“Yeah, I’m planning to be there for that.” He moved to settle on the couch with the other two. It wasn’t like they could sit normally with someone like Kouha though. The man pulled them both in and grabbed the remote, turning on the television and laughing.

“I’m not worried at all about your attendance, but I thought I would swing by since Meimei’s been stuck working on your papers. You know how ol’ Mei gets when he’s stuck with lots of paperwork.” 

“Judal’s been really sick though. I don’t know,” Aladdin looked at him before shaking his head. “We were doing fine on Saturday, but his fever kicked back up on Sunday.”

“That’s not good,” Kouha looked at Judal and felt his forehead. “He seems to be okay now.”

“The bath helped,” Judal replied, pulling Kouha’s hand off of his head and being pulled closer.

“I heard a lot of shit went down here on Saturday.”

“We had a breakin.”

“A breakin?!” Kouha stared at Aladdin. “Where did you guys go? Did you stay here on Saturday?!”

“No, we stayed with friends.” Aladdin smiled, “they were really good friends.”

“Really good friends?”

“The best!”

Little shit was going to get him into trouble with that kind of talk. Judal sat up. “We stayed with some old family friends of mine. It seemed to work alright.”

“I’m glad they took care of you. I should send them a thank you card for you both!” Kouha grinned, making Aladdin blanch.

“A thank you card?” Judal tugged Aladdin into his arms and smacked him with a pillow to stop him from giving more shit away. “I don’t think a night’s stay is worth that much. Family has to do that kind of shit without reward. It’s thinking you have to do shit like that that keeps card companies in business.”

“You have a point…” Kouha looked over at Aladdin and frowned, pursing his lips before Judal moved over. He wrapped his arm around the man’s shoulder and smirked.

“Of course I have a point. Have you seen my resume? I am good at these things. There are smart people and then there are idiots, Kouha. We’re the brilliant minds of this age. Now then…” Judal motioned towards the television. “Are you going to lay around with the two sick people here or run and try to be healthy out in the real world?”

“I’m going to be sick with you, of course!” Kouha pat his lap. “Come on, Aladdin! You can lay on my lap and Judal’s while we all lay around.”

“Ah…” Aladdin hugged the pillow a bit before nodding. “Fine.”

“He’s so cute, I’m jealous.” Kouha started to braid Aladdin’s hair as he settled his upper torso on Kouha’s lap.

“I’m not that cute,” Aladdin told him, earning a a raised brow.

“You are blind to your own qualities, Aladdin. Trust me though, as someone who can see the fine qualities in people, I can see that you’re a cute and loyal friend.”

Aladdin cuddled a little downwards, towards Judal’s lap before Kouha pouted.

“You little wigglebutt! I want to hold you too! Let me share you while you’re here.”

“Your lap is a little boney.”

“Judal has to be worse than me.” Kouha flopped onto his side now, resting his head onto Judal’s lap before gasping. “Holy crap, he’s like a cloud. What have you been hoarding Aladdin?”

“His lap’s all mine.”

“I’m not drunk enough for this,” Judal muttered as the two started to push at one another, settling for spooning one another and sharing his legs. Aladdin’s head was closer to the television so that he could see the screen. The pink haired man grinned up at him a little before watching the screen as well.

“Do you like it here,” Kouha asked the boy, earning a nod.

“I love being here with Judal,” Aladdin smiled. “He’s the best.”

“I’m sure he is,” Kouha replied.

Judal looked at the soup nearby and reminded himself to dump it later. Of all types of soup, it had to be a kind that he hated.

“oh! You should have some of my soup,” Kouha told the man, as though reading his mind. “It’s tomato soup from a family recipe. I won’t take no for an answer.”

“How about absolutely not?”

“Judal!” Kouha sat up, pouting at him. “I went to a lot of effort to make that for-“

“I have a tomato intolerance.”

“oh… that is horrible! How do you live without pizza?”

“I manage. It’s not good for you anyway.” Judal pulled the man over and shook his head. “I’m going to have something later though. You don’t have to stay.”

“I’m here. Aladdin and I will both take care of you.”

“Yeah, absolutely.” Aladdin moved under Judal’s other arm and smiled at Kouha. “Judal got me a stuffed animal the other day.”

“What? What kind?” Kouha looked over at him in surprise.

“It’s a polar bear! Since we can’t bring the real ones here, I got a stuffed one. I love it.”

“I want a stuffed animal snow leopard if you feel that nice again, Judal,” the man teased.

“You’ll get a picture off google if you ask again.”

“Come on, Judal, don’t be so mean. Aladdin got a stuffed animal.”

“That’s because we’re dating.” Aladdin replied, grinning proudly as the man he was holding tensed up completely. The boss looked over at Judal, forgetting about his childish wants at the news.

“Dating?”

“Yes. Judal decided it a while ago.”

“What an interesting turn of events. Is he planning to take you out to nice dinners and things?”

“Definitely!”

“that sounds great! I know a few good places you could go to. Some have a really nice view of the coast.” Kouha was grinning like a cat in a creamery over such news. What a smug bastard, Judal thought to himself, listening to him get thoughts into the boy’s head.

Of course he knew what would happen if word of such a relationship got out. No one would understand. No one would listen to one word more than the headline about it. It would crush the kid too. He could see all that excitement getting into the boy’s features. Kouha was painting a wonderful canvas of what it meant to date.

“You can hold hands and run around all over the place. I love dating,” Kouha was telling him now.

“That sounds amazing!” Aladdin looked up at him only to have his braid tugged on, his head was pulled further, until Judal could press his lips to the boy’s face and kiss him for a moment.

“I’m tired. I think I’m going to head to bed.”

“What?!” Kouha pouted, “but what about hanging out with me and watching things? You could-“

“I’m just feeling very weak still. Can’t have that if you expect me at your press conference tomorrow, can you?” Judal pushed himself off the couch and looked at Aladdin. “You coming?”

“Ah, but Kouha?”

“I got it.” Kouha stood up and smiled. “I will see you both tomorrow!”

“Both?”

“Aladdin should visit more often. It’s only normal for loved ones to visit after all.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Judal moved to the door, opening it for him and letting him out before it was promptly shut behind the man.

“You aren’t allergic to tomatoes.”

“You aren’t coming with me to work.”

“Of course not, you’re gonna leave them soon anyway.” Aladdin moved over to Judal’s side and smiled up at him. “Kouha’s a bit ridiculous though. Why would I want to run around holding hands and showing you off? You aren’t some kind of caged animal at the zoo. You’re my boyfriend and we both can admit it. You like to kiss me in public sometimes so it’s not like no one knows.”

“Chibi-“

“It’s stupid. He gets so excited over little things.” Aladdin headed towards their room and Judal couldn’t help but to follow, noticing that the boy had somehow gotten his bear upstairs and was holding the fluffy toy in his arms. “He’s just being jealous.”

“Chibi-“

Aladdin turned and smiled up at him. “You don’t think that we need to go to fancy places to eat, do you? We go out to eat a lot.”

The man leaned against the door as the other moved to curl up in bed.

“You don’t want me to come to work with you or to say anything about Ja’far or Sinbad either. It’s okay because you’re going to be leaving them and-“

“You talk far too much, brat.”

“Jugemu…” Aladdin looked over at him and shook his head. “Kouha seemed like he was bragging.”

“I know. He was.”

“We can do those things, can’t we?”

“Not here.”

“We’re alone here though! We do far more than that!”

Judal moved across the room, pushing the boy onto his back and climbing over him.

“You said you would date me just to get me to stop before.”

“Chibi, just forget what Kouha said.”

“You’re going to go to work tomorrow though. You’ll be there all day and I’ll be here. You’ll do that all the time while I sit here and wait for you to come back. Kouha talked about doing so much out in public, but we don’t go out that often.”

“I don’t have time-“

“You have work.”

Judal glared at him, “it is how I’m able to pay my bills and shit. It’s how we can lay around and do those things that Kouha talked about.”

“Not all of them though.”

“You want me to leave and work for Sinbad?”

“He-“

“You know what will happen if I do?” Judal slipped his hand under the boy’s shirt, feeling him curl into his touch. “Kouha will make public everything. I’ll be taken away from you and you’ll be trapped with kids your age that are all stuck in a house for brats with no family. If Solomon finds out who you are, you’ll be taken with him, but I’ll be dead and gone.”

“We’ll say he’s lying!”

“No one will believe you. No one will hire me. If I somehow escape prison, I’ll be judged and beaten for being near you.”

Aladdin shook his head. “I won’t let that happen.”

“The only place that would be safe for something like this is somewhere like Europe… and there’s no-“

“Let’s go now! We’ll drive-“

“That’s over large bodies of water. It’s too far for us.”

“Jud-“

Judal pressed him down against the bed and shook his head. “It’ll be fine, Chibi. Ignore Kouha. He’s a pain in the ass.”

“Ah- okay,” Aladdin replied softly, staring at Judal’s lips a moment before the man complied, holding him tightly to him as they kissed.

It wasn’t that simple though. Aladdin couldn’t get the thoughts to leave him. Judal would get up early in the morning, long before he could wake up. He would come back to fall into the bed and sigh in exhaustion. He never talked about work either. Aladdin had seen him on the television the next morning, but he had been talking about guns. It wasn’t that fun to see him talk about such things.

The first week went by and Aladdin watched the other come home and work more. Sometimes he would come to sit with him to watch television and he would suddenly get back up to go grab the phone and call Kougyoku. He was really busy with things from the sound of it.

It felt like Tuesday had been a week, Wednesday a month. Aladdin cried on Thursday, yelling at the house that he wanted to leave. He wanted to go out into the world and do something. His studies seemed to talk about him doing that. They made it seem like he would be all alone though. He went through the simpler lessons and worked on writing on the second half of Thursday. He was writing as well as Judal’s work handwriting by the time he had come home.

Judal had been too tired though. He had brought dinner home when he had arrived later than normal. It was already dark out when he had come in. He moved to the couch and kicked off his shoes, complaining that he was too tired.

Friday was soon here though. Aladdin sat at two by the window, watching the world outside in hopes that the other would come back. He watched the neighbors take their pets for walks. He watched Alibaba poop on the lawn. He waved to Anise when she came to clean it up.

The sun started to set and Aladdin looked around the room.

He was late again.

The phone began to ring and Aladdin rushed over to it, picking up and listening to the other end. “Hello?”

“…” The sound of rattling met Aladdin’s ear, making him pale.

“Hello? Who is this?”

“Who do you think this is,” the voice asked. “You have been behaving badly, little boy. We’re here now though. Just stay on the line wit-”

Aladdin hung up the phone, feeling his heart racing. He looked around for a moment before running towards the door. He looked around as he opened the front door. His eyes went to the area and he scanned the way to Anise’s.

The sound of Alibaba barking caught his attention.

“Alibaba!” Aladdin called, hearing the dog come running. He rushed out to the boy, listening to Anise and Ugo call for the dog to come back. The two came over and frowned when they found Aladdin hugging the beloved golden retriever.

“Aladdin? Where’s Judal?”

“He hasn’t come home yet…”

“Aladdin,” Anise frowned, “what’s-“

Ugo wrapped his arms around the boy and helped him up, frowning as he looked around. “Come on, Aladdin. We’ll take my car and-“

The sound of something breaking could be heard from behind them, making Anise yelp, Alibaba beginning to growl.

“Damn it all,” Ugo pulled Aladdin into his arms and looked over at Anise. “Come on, we’ll call the police from my home.”

“Someone’s breaking in again?”

“It sounds like it. We will have someone come to find Judal while we take care of Alad-“

“I need Judal,” Aladdin murmured, holding onto Ugo tighter.

Anise pushed them forward, the lot of them hurrying across the street, both Anise and Ugo throwing themselves against the front door as they shut and locked it.

“Ugo,” Aladdin stared at him a moment before he shook his head, “they’re-“

“I knew that those idiots would be after them!” Anise stormed towards the kitchen of the house, the layout of the home looking similar to Judal’s. “I told you as soon as Judal got on the television for those assault rifles!”

“We don’t know that this is them. The-“

“Don’t you find it a little strange that this is the second time his house has been broken into!?” She picked up the phone and began dialing the police, getting them on their way immediately.

“Ugo,” Aladdin looked up at him only to get another hug.

“Don’t worry, Aladdin. You just go relax with Alibaba while we find Judal for you.”

“I know you have his number, Ugo,” Anise growled from where she stood propped against the counter. “That damn idiot leaves Aladdin alone on his own and doesn’t expect anything bad to happ-“

“Enough!” Ugo glared at her. “He thought he was doing the right thing. He’s a kid too, Anise. Kids make mistakes!”

“He could have gotten the kid killed and for what? A few guns! He doesn’t have any idea how much Aladdin cares for him at all and yet he risks Aladdin’s life like it’s some kind of-“

“I SAID ENOUGH ANISE!” Ugo glared at her. “You and I both know that there’s more shit happening here than the man told us. If you want to know, then wait and we’ll ask him when he comes.”

“They’re after me,” Aladdin murmured. “It’s my fault.”

“Aladdin…” Anise shook her head. “None of this-“

“They called before they came,” he looked up at the two adults as Alibaba licked his face. “It’s the traders, they’re coming back for me.”


	30. Chapter 30

How many protesters now? Judal stared out at the lot of them around the building and once more thanked the world that his building was connected to the garage. They would not see him leaving when he left. He would have to wait them out though.

Sighing once more, he settled behind his desk and looked out at the area around them.

How long had he left Aladdin sitting around waiting now?

He didn’t even know anymore. He was tired of sitting around while the protesters asked for his head. The gun sales had gone over well… until something had gone wrong. He wasn’t sure what the issue was, but there had been some kind of malfunction in the weapons. There were several people in the hospital or dead from the problem. The company was under fire.

His ass was hung up like some kind of meat.

“Judal?” The figure at the door looked in, her hands on the doorway. Her hair was down now, from a long day by the looks of it. It was more of a mess than anything. Kougyoku frowned at him. “You should go home.”

“They’re still all there.”

“Judal…”

“I know.” He turned away from the window, closing the blinds and knocking over his endtable. “It’s not my damn job to make sure that the idiots in manufacturing do their damn jobs! Those deaths have nothing to do with me!”

“I know… We all know that.”

“They don’t care,” Judal pressed a hand to his chest while motioning at the window. “They don’t give a fucking shit and I don’t either. We both know the truth but they’re going to blame me until they can’t do anything more. Th-“

“Judal, shhhh,” Kougyoku moved into the room, going to his side. “Calm down. I know it’s annoying, but you just need to calm down.”

“I am calm. I’m laughing at them. They want me so bad, but they’re so far beneath me.” He started to move when he felt the other’s arms pull him back.

“Judal, I-“

“Old hag, let go of me.”

“My brothers are planning to-“

“I don’t want to really hear it right now.”

“Judal, you need to listen to me though.”

“You need to hear what I am saying. I was just down the hallway-“ she was stopped short as Judal moved to his desk and sat down, propping his feet up.

“I’m good. I don’t need to care about what anyone else is doing. I’m going to sit here and wait for the crowd to be dispersed by the police. I’m not moving an inch. I’m just going to be sitting right here waiting for this to be over.”

“J- Damn it all, you aren’t going to make this easy.” Kougyoku moved over to the other’s side, sitting down on his lap. “I have to do this, you stupid idiot. I don’t want another stupid boss that treats me like a rug for his feet.” Her lips pressed against his, her hand cupping his face. Her body slid against his more. Quickly enough, she was holding him in place, forcing herself into his mouth as she unbuttoned her shirt roughly. The buttons bounced onto the floor as she moved.

A soft click happened as she moved her hand to her back. Judal couldn’t breathe around her. He was trying to get her to stop, but his hands were held down or hit. She forced herself on him, causing him to knock them to the floor in that seat. The crash caused a couple people to come running from the hallway.

“What’s going o- Kougyoku… Judal…” Kouen stared at them both. A smaller figure came, Kouha looking in only to pale.

“Kougyoku… What are you doing?”

She looked over at them, pressing her breasts into Judal’s face. “Ah… GUYS! GET OUT! WE ARE HAVING A MEETING!”

“Kougyoku get off him!” Kouha moved into the room. “Damn it, he has Aladdin! What are you do-“

“I love that boy. He’s such a good son,” Kougyoku lied, her grip tightening on Judal. “Judal and I have been like this for months. Ever since he came to the company…” She blushed harder, looking away from her brothers. “I’m sorry, brothers.”

“Is this true, Judal?” Kouen stared at him a moment.

There was something off. There was something wrong. Judal looked at the men before he stared at Kougyoku. What was she doing? They had never… She was trying to tell him something though. He could see it in her eyes.

“Yeah…” He pushed her down a bit, moving to a sitting position so he could take off his jacket and wrap it around her. She was going to be explaining this shit to him in a minute.

“Judal is gay!” Kouha argued, looking around. “He’s not interested in Kougyoku! He calls her an old hag! He doe-“

“You call me other things in bed, don’t you, Judal-chan.” She wrapped her legs around him and kissed him again.

Kouha looked at the other two before sighing. “Judal… we’re going to be talking about this tomorrow.” He wasn’t going to let this go. He was upset about this.

Kouen looked at the two before he moved into the room, closing the blinds before he too left.

“Your skin bags are pressed against my chest.”

 “They’re breasts, Judal. Do you know what those are?” Kougyoku huffed at him before she moved away. Her hands grabbed the jacket, wrapping it around herself before she slapped him. “You’re a moron. You actually bought a child just to make my brothers happy. Buy a fucking painting or something. You know the FBI is watching us? They’re actually pulling background checks on us and anyone associated with us. You don’t even have anything done for him, do you? Do you know where I had to go today? You know how much shit I had to do for you because you let my brothers lead you around like a pet? I have been working all fucking week for you  _personally_  because I don’t want new boss.”

“What are you talking about?”

Kougyoku moved to stand up, grabbing the envelope she had dropped on the table nearby that morning and opening it. She dropped the papers and files onto him. “What did you think was going to happen by lying? Lies aren’t foolproof. I made your little friend a background to be looked up. I had to spend the week making it all up. I had to make three damn identities. THREE, Judal.” Kougyoku threw herself down beside him and laid back.

“Your sister was homeschooled by your dead parents. Don’t worry about your former identity. I looked into that too. Aladdin is your sister’s son. Her husband was a religious nut that killed her. They gave you Aladdin a week before hand. The papers are just finally getting to where they needed to go. I paid a few people to say that your paperwork was having trouble getting through.”

Judal stared at the papers and frowned. “How did you get all this done?”

“Money.”

“You spent your own?”

“I do stupid shit a lot.” Kougyoku shook her head at him. “I wouldn’t worry about it. You owe me so bad though. My brothers will have to file that there was a disturbance. There are people in the office that saw me ordering lingerie on my computer too. I will be reprimanded for that tomorrow by my brother Koumei. The whole office knows there’s something between us.”

“You set me up?”

“Yes I did, you stupid asshole. You’re welcome.”

Judal closed his eyes. “So Aladdin going to school or-“

“Your little pet can do whatever you want him to. He’s legal. No one will realize he isn’t your nephew. Don’t do anything filthy in public though.”

Judal gathered the papers up, looking at the legal documents. He felt his mood lighten a bit as he looked over at his secretary. “Not bad, old hag.”

“You’re stuck calling me your girlfriend for a few months though.”

“Not like I care.”

“We’ll have to be seen in public.”

“I know, I know.” Judal pushed himself to his feet as his phone rang. He wasn’t going to answer though. He looked over at Kougyoku and huffed a bit. He pulled her over to him and pressed a light kiss to her cheek. “Keep up the good work, old hag, and I’ll drag us to a decent job.”

“Just get me out of this hell and I’ll be grateful.”

Judal moved towards the door when Kougyoku moved to his side. “Hold on, Judal.” She buttoned up what few buttons she still had and handed him his jacket. A pressed kiss to his cheek and she moved back. “Tell Aladdin not to feel intimidated by me. I don’t want his pedophile.”

“Don’t call me that again or you’ll be fired.”

“Try me,” she purred, holding onto his chest and pressing another kiss to her lips. Kouha was watching. Judal kissed her back.

Judal headed to his car, trying to ignore the looks that he now understood. It made sense. He was banging his secretary in their eyes. He was taking her out and giving her time off probably. Who knows what she had told them.

He didn’t want to think about it.

His car was fine, starting without a problem. He moved to the exit and pulled on his sunglasses, despite it being nightfall. He moved towards home, trying to focus on something else than work.

Damn everything being a mess.

He should have been happier. A couple dinners out and about, a couple months of seeing just how strong his false identity was, and he was home free. Aladdin had an identity now. He would be able to go and do something besides sleep in his house. Five years and he would be walking out and heading to a college somewhere.

Why did that thought piss him off?

He stopped at a light and looked around, seeing a gay couple standing nearby. The two boys seemed caught up in their own world, cupping one another’s faces. Their lips pressed together. Their bodies getting closer and closer.

Judal slammed his hand onto his car horn, making the two freak out. He laughed as he drove away when the light turned green.

He couldn’t help but to think more and more. The radio was turned up to drown out his thoughts, but it wasn’t working. Would the kid even contact him after things were all over? He was going to be recovering in the next couple years. He would get better and he would be happy. He would learn that his infatuation was just that. Aladdin would fall in love with others.

He was just a crush.

Lights were in front of his house as he turned onto his street. The air was gone as he saw the fire truck in front of his place. He couldn’t see anyone with blue hair. He couldn’t see anything good, but there was a couple body bags…

His breathing stopped at the sight.

Someone was dead. He couldn’t see Aladdin. Where was Aladdin? He sped up to reach his house faster, throwing the door open and running to the yellow tape. If the car was put into park, then he had forgotten about doing that. The car hit the fire hydrant as he managed to run up his front walkway.

“DAMN IT ALL- ALADDIN!”

“SIR!” a police officer ran forward to stop him. “Sir, behind the-“

“THAT’S MY HOUSE! WHERE’S MY SON!”

“Ah… right. Your neighbors have him.” The policeman paused. “It looks like a few protesters found your address and came to wreck the place. The lot of them wanted to make the ‘little boy businessman’ pay for what he has done. Or that’s what they say. They’re taken in for questioning now.”

Judal spun around, leaving the officer talking as he heard about the neighbors. His feet was taking him across the street before he could think. He ran up to Ugo’s and threw the door open. He could see Aladdin, looking over immediately as Anise and Ugo both jumped.

Aladdin shot towards him, running to him. He fell to his knees with a loud bang so he could wrap his arms around the boy. Their bodies crashed into one another. His lips pressed against Aladdin immediately, Aladdin returning the gesture. Judal brushed his hands through the boy’s hair. He couldn’t think about anything else.

Someone had gone for his house. Someone had gone to get Aladdin while the boy had been alone.

“You are never staying home alone again.”

“I missed you.”

“No more staying home.”

“I love you, Judal. I missed you so much,” Aladdin murmured. He was crying. Those tears kept falling and Judal hated it. He hated it so much that he could feel his chest ache. His fists balled up as he held him closer.

“I’m going to transfer.”

Aladdin nodded into his clothes. “They came after me. They came after me like the other slaves.”

“They were after me, Aladdin. They just wanted to kill me.”

“Mind explaining that to me,” Ugo asked, moving closer as Anise tried to pull Aladdin away. Both he and Judal refused to budge. Their glares directed at Anise.


	31. Chapter 31

“What are you two going to do?” Koumei looked at the two men in his office and frowned.

“Kougyoku is ruining everything!” Kouha leaned back in the seat across from Kouen. “You know I actually found that little pet of Judal’s on social security networks. He’s actually on Judal’s information with the company. He was ADDED last week.”

“He has played well.” Kouen shook his head. “We’re going to have to accept that Judal is a wild card for the company-“

“Hold on, Judal said he was dating Aladdin. The kid believes that.” Kouha looked between the two men. “I want to know which it is. Is he the pedophile that we were preparing to place him as or is he the man dating his secretary? Either way someone is going to be unhappy.”

“I think we should call it quits.”

“We don’t have a choice right now. The stock is going down the drain, we’re going to be pushed a great deal here soon.” Kouen moved to sit near Koumei. “We need something serious going on. There needs to be some-“

“We’re circling a drain. What we need is the lot of you going through the manufacturing and just slaughter them for this.”

“That sounds messy.”

“Too much work,” Kouen agreed, nodding with Kouha’s comment.

“You’re both idiots.”

“There are other things that need my attention.”

“Yeah, other things… How long are you going to pretend to be in charge of an arms company when we all know you aren’t heading it?” Koumei moved to stand as Kouen headed towards the door. The other didn’t seem to hear him. “Kouen! We have a situation here. If you don’t do what is reasonable about taking care of it, we’re going to be in deep water and fast.”

Kouen’s hand stopped on the doorknob. “That’s what Judal’s job is. I just own stock.”

“Kouen!”

The other left the room before Koumei sighed. “That idiot is going to drown this company in his need for books. I don’t care what those idiots in charge of manufacturing say, it was their fault, not the fault of the designs. Judal isn’t responsible for this.”

“Mei, you have to believe them though. They have been helping to build this place since we took over the Al Thamen business and added it to ourselves.”

“There is a point where I believe both you and brother are being blinded.”

“You don’t fight us.”

Koumei sighed, “That’s because I know there is no point in arguing.”

“Meimei,” Kouha moved around the table, wrapping his arms around his brother and pulling him close. His hands worked at the knots along the man’s back. “I think En and I would both like you to take a break from the trouble and just relax. Enjoy the world for a while.”

“Kouha…”

“Your back is full of tension. You never let me fix it for you anymore.” Kouha moved onto the desk, tossing his jacket off towards a random direction and clicked a button on the desk. The door locked, the blinds going down. Music came from one direction as Koumei’s couch rolled out from the wall.

“Kouha,” Koumei warned.

“Meimei, let me charm you. Let me make you feel like you’ve left the office and locked yourself away in paradise! Feel the paradise that is my arms.”

“I’d rather sleep on the streets.”

Kouha’s hips swayed with the beat, his eyes darkening as he looked at his brother. “Come on now, Meimei.  _The best is yet to come. You ain’t seen nothing yet!”_

“There are papers to be done. I have a crockpot on at home.”

“Shhh Mei,” Kouha’s left leg slipped out of his suit pants, wrapping around his leg. “Come with me.”

“Kouha!”

“Listen to that music, the gentle sway of my body. Do you feel this heart beating? It beats only for you. I want you to take me away. Come with me to bed. You love bed.”

“I like it when I’m alone.”

“So you’re that kind of man.” Kouha pushed him down and unbuttoned the shirt he had on. The other pant leg dropped and those pants were abandoned as well, leaving Kouha in his boxers and tie. “Let me show you how I charm the office.”

“I have seen it. I think I will keep t-“ Koumei’s eyes bugged out as Kouha wrapped his hand around the other’s erection. “That better not be your-“ He was stopped again as Kouha stroked him.

“So gentle, so warm, so  _big,”_  Kou murmured. “I want to take you in and never let you go.”

“I’ve seen where that mouth has been.”

“It was around a banana. I think you saw it.” Kouha’s mouth moved to Koumei’s ear. “I circled my tongue around that thick object and just slid it along that shaft. Such a good taste, making me feel all hot and bothered.”

“You’re nothing but a tease.”

“You love it.”

The elder sibling sighed, grabbing that tease by the arm and rolling them over, pressing Kouha into the cushions of the couch. He pressed that banana that Kouha was referring to against him, making the other’s eyes widen. “I’m a man, brother,” Koumei murmured. “I’m not one of the pencil pushers in this place. I like to assert myself only when I have to. You are going to make me pull it out again though.”

“Meimei…”

“I’m going to have to wake up and take care of you, won’t I? There’s no way around it. You are so eager after all.”

“Mei-“

Koumei unbuckled his pants and watched his brother’s face turn pale, staring at the enlarged erection that stood proudly before his eyes. The owner of that proud penis leaned forward, murmuring into Kouha’s ear. “I happen to be a man full of stamina. You have your work cut out for you making me quit fast. I promise I can last longer than Kouen, that Koko man that stalks Kougyoku, and anyone else in the staff you have seen fit to flirt with.” His hands slipped up Kouha’s chest, yanking him in closer by that tie. “I don’t share loves like the others either. I’m like a bird, I mate for life.”

“You and your damn pigeons,” Kouha teased, earning another yank at the tie. He looked over towards the windows and smiled. “The whole world has gone dark just for us.”

“I haven’t been paying attention to other things when I have you teasing me.”

“Oh Mei,” Kouha smiled, wrapping his arms around him tighter. “You’ve seduced me well, big brother. Just be gentle with me. I want to walk tomorrow. I have trouble to start.”

“You won’t be able to leave my home when I drag you home for at least a week.” Koumei leaned closer. “I hope you still love my birds, because I have found that they like to fly free through the house.”

“Less talk, more meat popsicle being shoved up my ass.”

“There’s more to this than touch.”

“I don’t do relationships.”

“I don’t do friends with benefits.”

“We’ll see where the night takes us.”

“I don’t leave my life to fate.” Koumei shushed the other up before he could argue anymore, running his hands along the other’s body more as he kissed him. His erection brushed against the other’s before they were lost, caught up in a storm of pleasure.

The windows could have shattered, the skies falling to the ground; Kouha would have never noticed.

Koumei was that kind of lover.

~

He was just feeling that bit of relief flooding through his system when he had felt the other move in closer, the man crossing his arms and staring at him like he had done something wrong. He even made it sound that way. Was it his fault? Of course not, but far be it from him to listen.

“I’m sorry, Judal. I knew they would come and they had called, but I didn’t want to tell you.”

Judal looked down at Aladdin and frowned at his words, “What are you talking about?” He looked over at Ugo and motioned him back. “Ease up, old man.”

“You seem to have recovered,” the other replied, obeying even though his steps were slow.

“Yeah, I’m done.” Judal looked over at him and shook his head. “Aladdin and I will be heading out in a minute.”

“Now wait just a-“

“HELL NO!” Anise moved forward, storming into the room and slamming the door. “Do you know how scared that boy was? Do you have any idea how long he has been worried about you? He’s been scared out of his mind for you and you just think you can come in here and act like that was nothing? No. You don’t get to do that. Aladdin remains right here unti-“

“You have lipstick on your face,” Aladdin murmured, frowning at him as he reached up and wiped at his face.

The room went quiet before Anise turned red, her hands clenching. Those nails dug into her palms as she stared down Judal like a stain from the depths of hell. “Tell me you didn’t.”

“It was a situation that happened at work. It’s nothing,” Judal wiped at his face before he felt Aladdin pulled quickly out of his arms. Anise’s fist was on him not a second later, slamming him against the wall by the doorway. His body was barely able to take in the shock before her leg hit him next.

Aladdin cried out for her to stop when he was quickly silenced by Ugo.

“You heartless, good for nothing piece of shit!”

“IT’S NOT LIKE THAT, YOU STUPID SLUT!”

“YOU WILL NOT PLAY WITH HIM LIKE THAT!”

“I- JESUS!” Judal was thrown, literally kicked back into another wall, falling onto a glass table in the entryway. His face and arms were cut, making the boy in Ugo’s arms squirm more as Anise moved in for the kill. Alibaba barked and jumped around at her heels, tongue out and excited.

“STOP!” Aladdin cried out between Ugo’s fingers.

“Do it,” Judal egged her on, spitting out some blood as he stared up at her. “You have any idea how ready I am for that? I’ve been ready to be taken down since I was sixteen, running out to join the military.”

“Anise, he’s delusional. Stop.”

“He’s not delusional, he’s a liar.” Anise pressed the heel of her shoe to the man’s throat. “You honestly expect me to believe he’s a twenty something year old?”

“Anise-“

“How old are you really? Who were you with before you decided to come home?”

“Stop!” Aladdin pleaded before they heard a knock at the door. Judal rolled away from the woman and reached out, pulling Aladdin into his arms and away from Ugo. Aladdin wiped at his face with his sleeve. “You are bleeding so bad. Let’s get you cleaned up please.”

“Yeah.”

“Have you eaten yet?”

“I think we’ve got bigger problems than my stomach.”

“These cuts are really bad.”

Judal shook his head as Anise answered the door with a frown, apologizing about her outburst in fear. Her harsh criticism of the police could be heard throughout the house as Judal carried Aladdin to the nearest bathroom he could find. His arms held the boy closer, feeling him hold on tightly to him.

“I want to be safe,” Aladdin murmured.

“Same here,” Judal replied. “How long do you think we can live in some bunker underground?”

“I don’t know.”

Judal glanced down only to shake his head. “You look so tired, Chibi. You should see your face. You look like an old man with those bags under your eyes.”

“I do? You are one to talk,” Aladdin cupped his cheeks and shook his head. “You were reckless.”

“I think it is vacation time.”

“Vacation time?”

“What do you think?” Judal held the boy closer. “I don’t want to play the games at work anymore. I don’t think I want to play the work game with your father standing over my shoulder.” He moved his mouth to the boy’s neck. “We’ll run off to wherever. Let’s go to Europe. We’ll run to Europe or the East coast. We’ll ditch these problems and just escape.”

“Can we?” Aladdin stared up at him, his heart skipping a beat.

“We’ll leave in the morning. I’ll tell Kougyoku to say I’m in meetings until we’re gone. I have your identity with me.” He pulled the envelope out and set it on the counter in the bathroom, pulling out the papers and holding them up for Aladdin to see. “You’re legal and mine.”

“I love you,” Aladdin murmured, kissing him.

“I know,” Judal replied, smirking into his hair.

“Judal. Aladdin.” Ugo knocked on the door and walked in, staring at the two of them before sighing. “I want to know what is going on and I want to know right now.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Judal and I are going to leave,” Aladdin told him.

“I bet you are.” Ugo looked at Judal and sighed. “Sit down boys.”

“I’m fine standing.”

“You aren’t bleeding all over my house so sit down.” He shut the door nd pushed Judal to sit before he was pulling out supplies. “You are both childish. You don’t run away from problems and act like they don’t exist. You face them straight on. You have to take control. This idea that things will resolve themselves is a lie.”

“What do you know?”

Ugo snorted, “I should know a lot. I used to be a slave in the slave trade.”


	32. Chapter 32

“You’re a-“

Aladdin looked up at the other as Judal spluttered, unable to say it. “You are like me, Ugo?”

The other nodded. “It was a very long time ago. I know what it looks like when you first leave that life though. I could tell once the curtains were being closed and when I saw how closely Aladdin has been clinging to you, Judal.” The man shook his head. “You did a good thing, but you are going to be cau-“

“I don’t have to worry about anything.” Judal held up the documents for him to see as well. “Chibi’s mine. We are going to leave this area anyway so it does-“

“Do you really want to draw more attention to you both?”

Judal bit his lip. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Listen, I don’t know what you are fully planning, but running away solves nothing. The past always comes back.”

“It doesn’t matter what you think.” Judal glared at him, moving around Aladdin and glaring at the man, standing toe to toe with him. “We’re leaving. I’m done with this shit. They won’t be able to find me.”

“So what do you think I should do? Stay here? Enjoy these idiots coming after us?”

Ugo shook his head, “You boys may not know much, but I work as a PI. I find lost children mostly. I know enough about the slave trade and all that business that I know how to work around the legal tape. I know someone that would take you in for a while.”

“We aren’t staying with-“

“His name is Solomon. He’s waiting for me to find information on his so-“

“No,” both him and Aladdin said at the same time.

“Boys, are you listening. The police are investiga-“

“I’m sorry miss! But we were told Judal was staying here for the moment. We’re friends-“

Everyone in the bathroom stopped as they heard that voice. Aladdin tensed up, looking towards Judal for some kind of guidance.

“We made it on the fucking news, didn’t we?”

Ugo nodded, “local and national. Apparently attacking a CEO’s home is a big deal.” Ugo shook his head. “You should have guessed that something like this would happen.”

“I was busy thinking the brat had been hurt. Excuse me for being human.”

“It doesn’t bother me at all. You’re both still kids.” Ugo smiled as he looked down the hall. “They’re down here, Ja’far. Sinbad. It has been a while.”

“Nonsense,” the man came over and pat him on the back. “I love your work. I’m glad you are on the case trying to help find my friend’s son. I know with you we have half a chance.”

Ja’far moved around them, staring at the two. “They were not kidding when they said you weren’t looking good. Come on. Aladdin, you can walk with Sinbad while I help juda-“

“I can walk.” Judal swatted him away. His arm wrapped around the boy as he held Aladdin’s identification things in hand. “Come on, Chibi. We gotta hand in my resignation.”

“You’re resigning?!” Sinbad looked over at him, smiling a moment before he shook his head. “Sorry, get a little overexcited at times. Come, we’ve got a car waiting that will be alright for getting away in.”

“We’re fine. We don’t need your car,” Judal growled, pulling Aladdin along with him.

“Judal,” Ugo moved forward, pressing a hand to his shoulder. The other leaned in close, “I know who Aladdin is. I only had to take one look at his picture in my work folder and one look at him to know.”

His voice was low enough that the others couldn’t hear. Judal leaned in close to the other. “Who else-“

“No one. I plan to keep it that way if you don’t fuck up. If you run, I swear I will tell Solomon and those two first. Then I will go for policemen.”

“You think you can catch me.”

Ugo leaned in a bit closer. “I don’t just think that. I think I can kill you. If you don’t do as I ask, I’m going to enjoy watching get killed. I’ll rip your organs out and sell them on the black market if I have to.”

Judal sighed, pulling away. The boy at his side looked up as Judal glanced back at the others. “Just… give us a moment. It’s been a long day.”

Ja’far and Sinbad nodded, moving passed them before Judal looked at Ugo. This guy was going to be the one that put the final nail into his coffin, not the others. “I hope you know I can’t go with them. If So-“

“He won’t know a thing.” Ugo shook his head, motioning them towards the front. “Go with them. Resign and join them. If there is one thing I know about those two, it’s that they have a good company going. They’re slowly becoming better. The fact that they aren’t trying to dominate markets and kill small businesses is a sign of that.”

“Come on, Chibi.” Judal pulled the boy along with him, making Aladdin stumble a bit. The boy shook his head.

“I don’t like this. We shouldn’t go with them.” The boy looked back at Ugo. “Ugo, there’s something off about them. I can feel it.”

The other looked down at him, moving to his knees and motioning for Aladdin to move forward. The man took him by the shoulders and shook his head. “Don’t fret too much about it. I know the feeling. The nights of worrying if someone will come, the days of fearing that they will come around the corner and take you away; but trust me Aladdin, it’s just in there.” He tapped Aladdin’s head. “You are safe with Judal. You know that, right?”

“I have no doubt of that. Judal can kill anyone that comes.”

“Then you will be okay. Judal will watch over you.”

“He… I mean… I just don’t feel-“

“Aladdin,” Judal motioned for the boy to come to him, taking his hand as the boy rushed to him. “Come on.” He needed to be able to think this over some more. They could not go against the other’s demands, but there were other problems.

He pulled out his phone as he exited the house, moving towards the limo that Sinbad and Ja’far were waiting at. “Kougyoku,” he greeted as she answered. “We’ve got a bit of a problem.”

~

Kougyoku stared at her phone as she got out of the shower, answering quickly enough. “Hello?

_“Kougyoku, we’ve got a problem.”_

“A problem?” She frowned at her feet as she heard him. Reaching into her nightstand, she began to pull out some nail polish remover and some new nail polish color. She wasn’t paying attention to what color. She didn’t care. “What’s wrong, Juju?”

_“I’m resigning. My place just got attacked.”_

“Oh no… that’s terrible.” She grabbed a cotton ball from her nightstand and began to soak it in polish remover. She rubbed the fluffy cotton ball against her toes, removing the deep blue color. “So what are you going to do instead?”

_“I have no idea. I have been told that I can stay with some people, but Aladdin is… well, you know him. He doesn’t want to stay with them. I’m really not feeling up for somewhere that different from my own place either.”_

She smiled as she finished cleaning the polish off her left foot’s toes. “Aww, do you want to stay with me?”

_“I would not dream of imposing on you.”_

She knew someone was listening. Judal would never be this damn nice. Still, she might as well have some fun with this. “So what are you wearing, Juju? Is it something sexy?”

_“…No, I can’t do that. Kougyoku, I don’t want to push this on Aladdin too soon.”_

“Are you naked? In public? What a horrible person. You are such a horrible pervert.”

_“Alright. We are on our way then. I suppose that I can have us stay one night.”_

“428N on the old backstreet that Kouen lives on.” Kougyoku sighed, “Don’t track mud on my carpets though, mutt. I just had my floors cleaned.”

~

Judal hung up and banged the front window of the limo.

“Important call,” Sinbad asked.

“My girlfriend.” Judal told him, making Aladdin frown. “Hey!” Judal called up to the front as the window rolled down. “You know the south side of town?”

“Yeah!”

Judal rattled out the address before the window to the front rolled back up.

“You could stay with us,” Ja’far told him.

“I think it’s best that Aladdin and I stay somewhere that he’s a bit more comfortable with. It’ll be fine. Tomorrow we’ll deal with this shit.”

“You are more than welcome to join us.” Sinbad pulled a business card out. “Just think about it a bit more. It doesn’t look-“

“I already made my decision on the matter.”

“You have?” Both Ja’far and Sinbad looked at him.

“Yeah, I’m alright with it.”

Aladdin was practically burning a hole through his face as the other two congratulated him. Ja’far leaned forward and smiled. “The place where you will be working and looking after things is right beside a school. It’s a safe place and I assure you that we have no policy against Aladdin running up to your office. If you want to continue homeschooling, we can install a second computer into the office for you.”

“This’ll be great,” Sinbad told them all, ruffling Aladdin’s hair. “We’re going to be one bigger family now. You can come over and swim around a bit with Morgiana again, Aladdin. I promise Masrur’s not going anywhere near a pool again. He’s learned his lesson.”

The limo moved up a hill, coming to a stop in front of a rather nice little place.

“Come on, Chibi.” Judal pulled Aladdin out, finding the boy letting go of him as soon as they were out. The other frowned, but he had an act to keep up. “Night you two,” he called back. The limo went off into the night again as the doors opened.

“If it isn’t my boyfriend with his little boyfriend,” Kougyoku greeted. She motioned into the house. “I’ve got a roast going in the oven and I have the spare bedroom ready for the two of you. Please don’t be too loud about the sex. We can pretend with anyone that may hear that it was you and I, Judal, but don’t be calling out Aladdin’s name. It will make explanations awkward.”

“Judal isn’t your boyfriend,” Aladdin told her, moving passed her when she held up an arm.

“Hold on, big boy. Shoes off. I have white carpets.”

Aladdin glared at her, taking off his shoes and leaving them by the doorway.

“He’s a bit pissed off. I think he might be jealous.” Judal moved up to her, trying to pass her when she held up her arm again.

“White carpets, you scrawny mutt. The shoes come off.”

Judal took them off, taking one look at the upset Aladdin standing nearby before he threw his shoes on Kougyoku’s carpet. She gasped loudly as the shoes hit her floor.

“JUDAL!”

The boy on the side stopped frowning as the other went to rescue her poor carpet from the offensive shoes. Judal wrapped an arm around the boy and led him upstairs.

“Do you have something we can change into, old hag,” he called down.

“I have a couple shirts from Koumei and Kouha in the closet!” Kougyoku yelled back. “I AM MAKING YOU PAY FOR MY CARPET CLEANING!”

“LEAVE THE BILL IN MY SHOES!”

“I’M GOING TO BURN THESE SHOES!”

“She’s horrible as a girlfriend,” Judal told Aladdin. “Thank god I have you, otherwise I would have to shoot myself.”

“She’s nice enough to let us stay here.”

“Yeah, I guess there’s that.”


	33. Chapter 33

“She’s a pain sometimes,” Judal growled as he shut the door to the bedroom.

“She’s your girlfriend though?” Aladdin stared up at the other as the man began to search through the closet. His hands were tossing things out left and right, searching for something they could wear. The room was a lot brighter than Judal’s stark home. Where Judal had owned dark furniture and had deep burgundy sheets and pillows, Kougyoku had a really bright looking home.

Everything was white or a really light wood color. Aladdin could see a lot of pinks, blues, and greens around the room. There were paintings that didn’t really have anything in particular in them. They were like paint splatters. It felt like the opposite of what he was used to with Judal. There wasn’t any real allure to it in his eyes.

He felt uncomfortable.

“Judal,” Kougyoku opened the bedroom door and walked in only to smack him away from her closet. “You’re making a god damned mess in here. Go sit on the bed with Aladdin and I’ll find you those clothes.”

They seemed to have a moment of staring at one another before Aladdin turned his head away. That was the only answer he needed to his question. Judal had interest in someone else in the end. While he took good care of him, it wasn’t him that he was…

He wasn’t sure what to think anymore. Everything was happening too fast. Why couldn’t it all slow down so he could take it in and figure out what was going on? Judal was dating him one minute and then he was also dating Kougyoku? One minute, it’s him that’s the only thing that matters, and the next he’s calling this woman and getting invited over?

“You both look like shit, by the way,” Kougyoku growled at Judal as she shoved a couple shirts into Judal’s hands.

“Yeah, that’s what happens when you get in a fist fight and people come after you. Of course, your dear brothers don’t seem to have a problem with leaving me out of the loop about the fucking protesters finding my home.”

“You aren’t exactly that hard to find when you are in the damn phonebook.”

“Yeah, I’ll remember to contact city hall and inform them that I am no longer protected because of phone books.”

Kougyoku crossed her arms. “You could be grateful instead of ruining my carpets.”

“You could stop being old, but you-“

Kougyoku grabbed him so fast that not even Aladdin had seen it coming. She twisted the man’s left arm around, pressing her foot to his back and sending him collapsing onto the bed next to Aladdin, crying out in pain as his arm was pulled way too far. The woman just held onto him and glared. “How about you shut up and stop considering my brothers and I to be the same. In case you didn’t notice, they didn’t give two shits about me until you asked for a reliable secretary.”

“Yeah…”

“Yes,” she mimicked. “And happy little Kougyoku was so happy to oblige and help out the family. Thank goodness for my big brothers being so kind and wonderful. Wherever would I be without them?”

“That’s sarcasm.”

“Of course it fucking is.” She released him, tossing the clothes at the two of them and shaking her head. “Get changed. I have a feeling that tonight’s going to be a rather early night for the lot of us.”

“We’re changing. We’re changing… geez,” Judal began to take off his jacket and shirt.

“The bathroom is literally the room right across from this one. You both can remain in here for the night.”

“Isn’t this your room though,” Aladdin asked, staring at her, confused.

“I’m working in a gun business, Aladdin. I don’t like my room being the first one a person will walk to in the house. My room is down the hall.” She gave him a big smile. “It looks like a closet if someone opens the door slightly, but then if they open it more, I will hear them and can shoot them.”

“Don’t ever leave me, Chibi,” Judal groaned.

“Oh like you’re any different, Judal.”

“I’ll have you know that my house looks normal, unlike your doll house here.”

“My doll house is the safest place from what I gather. You could always ask those Sindrian company friends of yours to let you stay with them. I’m sure Kouha would be happy to take you in as well.”

“Smartass.”

“Beef cake,” Kougyoku shot back before she walked out.

“Judal?” Aladdin looked over at the man as he pulled his shirt the rest of the way off, setting it aside and getting to work on his belt. “How many people can you date at once?”

“It’s just to keep people from arresting and throwing me in a jail cell, chibi. You’re only supposed to date one person at a time and they aren’t supposed to be that much younger than you.”

“So we can’t?”

He looked over for a moment before moving in closer. Those red eyes stared at him solemnly as he wrapped his arms around him. Aladdin couldn’t help himself as the other came closer. His pressed his hands to the scarred and muscled chest, looking up at him. The man just stared right back, leaning in close enough that those dark bangs of his were pressed against his forehead. “We are. I told you was and I am. What I have with that old hag is a business partnership. We work together because we’ve both been fucked over by the people we work for and we’re just doing what we can to make the whole thing alright.”

Aladdin moved his hands slowly, wrapping them around Judal before he kissed him. It was just a little kiss, just one to make him feel a little better. He held onto Judal and continued to hug him after the kiss. Judal let him, kissing his temple as he worked on getting him out of his clothes.

“We’re going to take a bath,” Judal told him.”

“Does Kougyoku even have a bathtub?”

“I don’t know. She better.”

“I think I might fall asleep before the bath.”

“I’ll leave you in the bathtub if you do,” Judal threatened. “You have to stay up until we make it back here.” Their clothes were off soon enough though, Judal leading him across the hall and telling him to stay put in the doorway a moment.

“Judal…” Aladdin watched him head down the hallway, smirking devilishly as he pushed open Kougyoku’s bedroom door.

“OI! OLD HAG!”

“OH MY GOD!”

“Where’s your towels?”

“JUDAL! PUT YOUR PANTS BACK ON-“

“TOWELS WOMAN!”

“THEY ARE UNDER THE SINK! OH MY- PUT SOMETHING ON BEFORE YOU COME IN HERE, YOU DAMN ASSHOLE!”

Judal waved into the bedroom before coming back over to Aladdin. An arm wrapping around his shoulders and into the bathroom they went. Aladdin could hear Kougyoku screaming towards Judal.

“I had to. She doesn’t get to shove me down like that and get away with it.”

Aladdin looked at the woman’s tub in the bathroom and paused. “It’s a lot bigger than yours.”

“Mine’s more intimate,” Judal replied, moving around him to get it filled. The water began to fill up immediately. The tub seemed to be filling faster than Judal’s tub did. It was just nicer around here in some ways. Everything was more open and bigger. This was the kind of house that you shared with someone. Judal’s house was for someone living alone.

There was no helping the yawn that escaped him. Aladdin felt the yawn come out of nowhere, making him lean back a little.

“Chibi no- Oh damn.”

Aladdin heard something thump against the tub, turning around to see what he had hit.

“Relax, it’s just soap,” Judal told him. He started to reach into the tub to grab it when the thing started to break apart. The bath water began to make more noise, the tub turning into a deep blue color. They both looked at one another before Aladdin went to the cupboard. He grabbed a towel and hurried to the door.

“Kougyoku!”

“WHAT?!”

“The tub turned blue! Your soap was weird!”

“IT’S A BATH BOMB! You’re fine! It’s just soap!”

Judal watched Aladdin walk back in and shrugged. “She says it’s okay.”

“Personally, I like my water clear, but fine. Come here,” Judal motioned Aladdin over and pulled the towel from his waist.

In the next minute, they were in the tub, curled up together in a corner and trying to soak into a state of relaxation. Judal’s hands were running along Aladdin’s back. The man’s head was leaned back against the rim of the tub as he did.

And together they relaxed, Aladdin dabbing now and then at some of the cuts on Judal to try to help him out. They hadn’t been that bad. Anise had been really mad at him.

“I can’t believe she hit you.” Aladdin stared up at the other and shook his head.

“I still want to take you and run.” Judal replied.

“Kougyoku seems like she would help us.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think we get a choice anymore. That blue haired idiot Ugo made an offer I can’t refuse.”

“What did he offer?”

Judal looked down at him and shook his head. “We’ve got Kouha and his two brothers pushing the problems of their tanking sales and their fierce protesters harassing me. You and both don’t like that, but we can’t switch companies that easily because-“

“Solomon is with them and he will take me away.”

“Right,” Judal nodded. “What you don’t know is that son of a bitch, Ugo, is working for Solomon and knows you’re his kid.”

“What?”

“It makes a little more sense than you being my kid. We don’t look that alike.”

“We could change my hair color…” Aladdin stared up at him. “Or yours…”

“We’re fine, but I’m going to be working for Sinbad and them.”

“Do you think the Kou Corporation will let you?”

Judal looked down at the boy and shook his head. “What can they do?”

“They need you, don’t-“

“I’m my own person, Chibi. I am the one who makes the decisions on what I do. If I want to go work somewhere else, I have the power to tell my workplace that I quit and go work at the other place. There’s no one that can stop me. Sinbad said that the business wasn’t even in guns so that’ll stop the protesters after a while.”

“What about Solomon?”

“He’s seen your face,” Judal pulled the boy a bit closer to him. “As far as anyone else needs to be concerned, you’re my kid.”

“Yeah…”

Being Judal’s son wasn’t the same as being his boyfriend though. It felt like the worst kind of lie. He wanted to be able to be with Judal and do things with him without others getting upset. He wanted to be able to call Judal what he was to him.

“Hey…”

Aladdin looked down at the water a moment before he felt his chin being turned.

“Hey,” Judal repeated, murmuring to him. “Listen to me. You’ve got me all to yourself. We’ll work for Sinbad for a little while. Maybe a few months, then we’re going to run off to Europe together.”

“Yeah, and we’re going to Disneyland too.”

“Let’s do that tomorrow.”

“What? But-“

“We need a break. It’ll be better for us to be able to relax and unwind while the paperwork goes through saying that I quit my job.”

“Let’s wait until Monday.” Aladdin snuggled close and closed his eyes as he thought about what places they would go to. “We still need to go home.”

“Let’s get a hotel.” Judal told him. “We’ll pack up our stuff and throw most of it in storage until we buy a new home. We’ll get a coast house or something. Maybe a place like Sinbad’s.”

“I like your home,” Aladdin murmured. “It makes me feel safe.”

His eyes were drooping towards a close as Judal held him and rubbed his back more. The other began to wash him up, but he couldn’t keep awake. He was just so tired… The water and Judal’s gentle touch was lulling him to sleep.

“We’ll see what I think tomorrow,” Judal told him before he quickly began to wash himself off. The other pulled them out of the tub and Aladdin couldn’t stay awake any longer. He fell asleep as Judal was drying him off with a big fluffy towel.

Judal watched those eyes shut, the boy leaning against him completely in that moment. Wrapping a towel around Aladdin’s hair, Judal hoisted him up and carried him back to the bedroom. The clothes were far too big for Aladdin, but they would work for the night.

He was getting an oversized tshirt on when a knock came by the door.

“I threw your clothes in the washing machine a while ago. They’re tumbling in the dryer now.”

“Thanks ‘Gyoku.”

The woman moved into the room and looked down at the boy curled up in bed. “He’s cute, I’ll at least give you that.”

“Yeah,” Judal ruffled a towel through his hair as he watched Aladdin sleep.

“And you really want to be with him? You could be with a lot of people from work.”

“Can you process my resignation with the company?”

Kougyoku sighed. “My brothers aren’t going to respond well to that, you know.”

“I know…”

“What is it that he has that others don’t, Judal?”

“What is so interesting about Sinbad?”

“I think it was more infatuation than anything.” She shook her head. “I have been seeing him more and learning that I don’t want to be around him.”

“It’s the opposite for me,” Judal murmured. “I didn’t want this pain in the ass in my life, now I seem to be ready to run to Siberia to keep him.”

The woman’s expression when he looked over was soft. Her eyes closed as she nodded. “I understand. Higher powers always get the best of us in the end.” She pulled at his shoulder a little and kissed his cheek. “You should be asleep with your little lover, Judal. I expect you both to stay tomorrow night as well.”

“Yeah…”

“Love’s a real pain in the ass. Just when you think you can live without one thing, you find yourself staring over at the person and realizing that you don’t really want to let go.” The woman paused after saying that, moving away from him towards the door. “Good night Judal.”

“Kougyoku…” Judal stared after her as she left the room.

_“What the hell?!” Judal screeched as Kougyoku finally took the last of his harassment and splashed her coffee on him. “DAMN IT WOMAN!”_

_“AH! SORRY! I’M SO SORRY!” Kougyoku began to try to wipe it off, “don’t fire me. I need this-“_

_Judal pulled her hands back and stopped her. “Don’t apologize!”_

_“But-“_

_He pushed her against his brand new office wall and glared at her. “I’ve been waiting for you to finally grow a damn backbone. If you’re becoming my secretary, then you better be ready to throw shit right back in my and anyone else’s face.”_

_The woman stared back at him, pausing. “…You’re just a manager though… We could get in-“_

_“Don’t say stupid things and slap me.”_

_Her hand hit his face immediately before he fell back. She flipped him off before leaving the room._

_As Kouha had tried to talk to her, she had informed him that she was Judal’s secretary, not his. “Get your own damn woman to do the job for you.”_

Looking at the woman now, Judal couldn’t see the scared little newbie secretary that had been walking into his office and taking his shit for the longest time.

“What the hell, ‘Gyoku…” Judal looked back over at Aladdin again before he shook his head. His arms wrapped around the boy as he climbed into bed. He pulled the boy to his body and felt Aladdin hug him back.

“…’love you… ‘udal…”

“Love you too, chibi.” Judal murmured, hearing the sound of the shower being run in the bathroom. 


	34. Chapter 34

_He could see them again. The lot of them were standing before him and were looking down. Their hands were grabbing at him. Pain seared through his senses. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Water was invading his senses. There was nothing else he could do but try to suck in air. His head felt light. His hands were clawing at the many people holding him._

_Then darkness, he was spiraling down into the darkness alone. His body was repairing before his eyes. He felt at his neck, taking in great breaths of air._

_And then there was fire. Fire everywhere. It spiraled around him. He looked up ahead of himself. He was outside the village from before. The small huts he could see ahead of himself. He could see a blond figure ahead of himself and felt something run cold in his veins. He looked at the other only to see his own face on Titus’s body._

_“The brat was going to kill everyone with his sickness. It’s better this way.” Titus laughed, shaking his head. “Good riddance.”_

_Judal felt his feet move under him. His eyes glued to Titus as he rushed passed. He turned to look ahead and felt his skin crawl. Every part of his body wanted to give up right then and there. The world should have been dark. Time should have stopped. His mouth opened in a foul roar as he stormed at them all. His gun was going off in his hand._

_The villagers fell around him, but there were hands holding him back, making him stop._

_“ALADDIN!”_

_He could see the blue haired boy lying in the same position that Marga had been in. Aladdin was in one of his shirts, the thing still far oversized for him. Blood was dripping down the side of the log bench._

_With all his might, he tried to get forward more. He tried to reach the boy. Each scream that escaped him was making his voice crack. Titus turned to face him, grinning with his face. It was the same. It was the exact same thing as before, but it wasn’t Titus suffering._

_Yunan looked down at the boy and shook his head. “He was a good boy. He really didn’t deserve to be here…” Those eyes looked up to stare at him, hollow as before. “I won’t kill you though Judal. I will let you go back. You can live with this guilt inside of you.”_

_Titus looked down at Aladdin again before his shape changed. It wasn’t Titus anymore standing over him. Judal could see the figure’s hair growing out into a long dark braid. It was him standing over Aladdin ahead of himself. He could see the eyes looking down at the boy. The gun was cocked, safety off…_

_He could see Aladdin’s eyes look over at him, the blatant fear across those eyes. He could feel everything in him trying to shove the others around him away. He screamed out to the other. He wasn’t even sure how Aladdin was alive with all that blood loss, but that didn’t matter._

_“ALADDIN!”_

_His voice echoed through the area as he heard the gunshot go off. Those blue eyes watered as his head fell to the side. The life slowly drained from those eyes. He could feel his body being shaken as Yunan and his other self smiled to one another._

_“ALADDIN!”_

_He tried to move, but someone was holding him down. His hands wrapped around their throat, holding them still before he heard someone yell out for him to stop._

_Chibi though. Aladdin was dead._

_Aladdin…._

_ALADDIN…_

The ice water splashed over him before Judal woke up. He stared above him to see Kougyoku between his hands. Aladdin stood beside him, holding a bowl in his hands. The bed was soaking wet. He let go of Kougyoku gingerly, feeling Aladdin move into his arms and hug him close.

“Aladdin, no.” Kougyoku tried to pull him away, but Judal pushed her away.

He needed this. This touch, this moment; it was like a part of him wouldn’t be able to accept that he was alive and okay until he held the boy in his arms and took in his presence. He face pressed against Aladdin’s neck before he felt the other kiss him gently.

“You always have nightmares when I leave the room,” Aladdin stated. “Next time, I will bring you with me.”

“Are we going to ignore the fact that I was almost choked to death here?” Kougyoku stared at the two of them expectantly. “…Well?”

Judal held the boy a little closer and kissed his shoulder, making the boy in that oversized dress shirt squirm a little. The boy pulled himself a little closer and kissed his cheek in return. “You were yelling for me. What happened?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well that sucks, Judal.” Kougyoku settled onto the bed with the two and glared at him. “I hope you know you have serious mental problems. What if that had been Aladdin? You won’t always be able to tell when you are sleep. I don’t think Aladdin will be able to reach you either.”

“Shut up, Kougyoku.” Judal took a couple deep breaths, focusing on the boy in his arms. “Can you leave the room, ‘Gyoku… I need a minute.”

“You’re being-“

“Just put one of those cover things over our food.” Aladdin looked over at her and shook his head. “Jugemu used to be a fighter in the army and I think whatever nightmare he was having had to do with Yunan again.”

Judal’s entire body froze, eyes widening as he heard that. Kougyoku listened to the boy and left the room.

How did he know about that? How did he know so much at all-

Aladdin pulled his face up and kissed him, making him focus on that instead. This boy was growing a little too audacious. His hands wrapped around his shoulders.

“Kougyoku had a point,” Judal murmured against his lips. “I’m going to hurt you one of these days.”

“You won’t hurt me,” Aladdin promised. “We’ve slept together a lot. You never have nightmares with me in here. It’s when I leave that the nightmares come. So I will just stay with you forever and you’ll never have to have those nightmares again.”

“Chi-“

Aladdin was kissing him again though, his hands rubbing at his back.

“Damn it… She’s going to kill us for doing this in her room.”

The boy just laid back, grinning up at him and unbuttoning his oversized shirt. The damn tease just opened the thing up and waved those oversized sleeves up in the air for him. “You need me,” Aladdin told him.

“I need a lot of things,” Judal growled, towering over him.

“I need you.”

Judal leaned in, pressing his lips to the boy’s belly. Aladdin blushed hard as Judal moved slowly up his body. His mouth pressed against his chest, making the boy squeak softly. Those hands ran through his mess of black hair.

“I love you, Judal…”

Judal kissed his way up the boy’s chest, pressing a kiss to the boy’s lip. Those greedy lips kissed him back. Such sweet tasting lips… He couldn’t help but to appreciate how he tasted like peaches. His mouth pressed against the boy’s more, his own hands going to the boy’s half-mast erection. “You know what,” Judal murmured. “You say that far too easily, Chibi.”

“You love me too,” Aladdin accused. His hands wrapping around Judal’s shoulder more. They were still in those big ass sleeves. Those hips ground against his hands, lifting up towards his own growing lust. “You love me a lot, Judal. That’s okay though, because we’re going to stay together.”

“You think so?”

“Mhmm,” the boy hummed. Instead of trying to kiss his face again, the boy’s mouth moved down towards his shoulders. His teeth bit into his neck hard, making Judal fall back, taking the boy with him as he hit the pillows. That little damn body wiggled over him. Aladdin slipped out of the shirt trapped behind Judal’s shoulders by the sleeves. He pushed Judal’s hands away and made it to his erection. Those lips opened and onto Judal they went.

Judal’s mind went blank. His body arched, trying to push more of his erection into that warm mouth. “Damn it!” There was nothing he could do but enjoy the feel of Aladdin kissing him.

“Oh, Judal, am I in- OH MY GOD!”

Judal flailed as he heard the woman shriek. His hands grabbed onto the pillows around him as Aladdin took him to the hilt in surprise. The groan that escaped him was unavoidable.

“THIS IS SO WRONG!” Kougyoku stared at them. “Guys! My house! MY HOUSE! That does not mean the two of you can start doing the do- JUDAL MAKE HIM STOP!”

“This isn’t the worst thing you’ve… actually, I think it is.” Judal pulled the boy up to his chest, pulling the bedsheets up a little to cover them both. “We did have a room.”

“Yeah…” Kougyoku stared at him blankly. “And I love you? What the hell is wrong with me?” She spun around. “First I love a guy who practically plays with companies because he gets bored and has a relationship with another guy who is basically his wife. Next I like a guy who’s fucking a child… I’m going to therapy.”

“Judal is a really good kisser if it makes you feel better,” Aladdin told her. “I don’t blame you for liking him too!”

“Shut up, Aladdin. I need to scrub my eyes clean.”

“Ah, I think Judal likes you being here watching.”

“OH MY GOD!” The woman was leaving the room so fast that she could have had started sparks against the floorboards.

“You little shit, I was going floppy and you know it,” Judal growled.

The boy just hummed, slipping back under the sheets and returning to his former business.

~

“We’re done,” Judal told her, walking down the stairs with Aladdin in his arms. The boy was leaning against him, lips swollen and eyes closed as he smiled.

“Not caring,” Kougyoku growled, working on her computer. “You’re taking me with you to this new company by the way.”

“What?” Judal stared at her as she held up some papers.

“I’m not stupid. I dropped by your house and got most of the important things that I could find. It took me a bit to find some things, but I got what was important. Your computer, clothes, car keys, and a few other things are lying on the couch. I grabbed a few of Aladdin’s things as well. Mostly, I just filled your car and made ol’ Ka Koubun help me drive the cars back.”

“Good idiot,” Judal offered, settling Aladdin onto a chair and grabbing their plates from the counter.

“Your offer from Sinbad and his company is second to none. Literally only an idiot would not take this offer.” Kougyoku watched Judal moving around. “You should have taken it the moment it was given to you, but knowing you…”

“I took it last night.”

“Well, don’t you have balls.” She shook her head before smiling. “You’re taking me with you. It says here in your contract that you can bring me with you.”

“Really? It says that?” Judal moved over to look, setting Aladdin’s breakfast in front of him. “And why would I bring you?”

“Because I can tell people about you and Aladdin fucking…”

Judal opened his mouth, but Kougyoku covered his mouth. “More than that though, I can tell the United States government that they were hacked into letting a 15 year old into the army for three years.”

“…What?”

Kougyoku pulled a photo out from the papers on the table. “I found this picture among your things. You should burn it soon.”

“I honestly forgot I had this.” Judal pulled the picture into his hands and stared at it.

“Is it the picture from downstairs.”

Judal’s gaze was over on Aladdin in an instant, Kougyoku frowned. “Judal doesn’t have a downstairs… do you?”

“it was supposed to be a damn secret.” Judal moved to Aladdin and wrapped his arms around him, setting the picture on the table before his arms were around the boy’s shoulders. “What else do you know, Aladdin?”

“You’re 19. You love me. I don’t need to know too much more than that.”

Kougyoku shook her head. “You are a fool if you think that, Aladdin. If I were you, I would be hounding Judal down. What is your real name anyway, Ju-dal~”

“I don’t need to tell you. I hated the name anyway. Better named after Arabian Nights characters than-“

“Am I the only one appreciating the fact that you both named yourself after characters from the same book?”

“He named himself after a Disney character,” Judal pointed out.

“Who happens to be from a book.” Kougyoku shook her head. “Anyway, focusing back on what’s important. You are dragging me with you to the Sindrian company.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes.” Kougyoku smirked. “You need me. I help keep your things in order in a way that you could never manage. You would be trying to run to the Bahamas and being arrested for pedophilia if it wasn’t for me.”

“Judal-“ Aladdin looked up only to have one of Judal’s hands cover his mouth. Judal glared over at Kougyoku, getting a glare right back before Aladdin licked at the hand. “Judal, let’s bring Kougyoku over.”

“Fine,” Judal sighed. “I don’t have much of a choice.”

“Good, because we’re going to go straight over on Monday and see our office space,” Kougyoku smiled brightly. “This will be great. Aladdin will have his little corner to learn. Judal is going to be safe, and the best part of all is that I won’t be under my brothers’ thumbs.”

“Calm down, old hag. We still need the last of the paperwork to-“

“It’s already processed. We’re out. Your office shit has already been taken out. I left your desk things in the trunk of your car.” Kougyoku held up her cup of coffee. “Welcome to the world again, ex-CEO.”

Judal held up his cup of orange juice and clinked it against her mug. “Feels like another round of sex is going to be happening.”

“Thank you for ruining my life, Judal.” Kougyoku smacked him hard before returning to typing, doing her best to try to ignore the two boys feeding one another on the other side of her computer.

~

“You think this looks alright?” Ja’far looked at the desks, pursing his lips a bit as he stared at the setup.

“Ja’far, it’s fine.” Sinbad shook his head at the other.

“I tried to get things that were French so that Aladdin could enjoy something in his own language, but I don’t know… I wish we knew more about them. I mean… I don’t know.”

The purple haired man laughed, setting his tablet down and moving to wrap his arms around Ja’far. “You are far too worried over this. The two of them will be fine. You’ve done so much for them. It’s kind of funny. You treat the two like kids.”

“I do not-“

“Come on,” Sinbad murmured. “We should be focusing on helping you find a child. Solomon is expecting us to visit too. Ugo found a body he thinks might be Aladdin.”

“That’s horrible,” Ja’far replied. “I hope that Solomon will be able to handle it.”

“He’s taking things hard. I think,” Sinbad murmured as his arms wrapped around Ja’far’s neck, lips pressing against his neck, “if we play our cards right, we can get Solomon to kind of baby Judal and Aladdin a bit. It’ll be good for Solomon to have them. I mean, it has to be hard for Judal at times to take care of a child alone.”

“It has to be. Imagine being thrown a child like that. Aladdin at least behaves well, but it must be strange for Judal.”

“Judal’s paperwork at least has gone through. There’s an article about him leaving his company in the news.”

“Good.” Ja’far turned around, wrapping his arms around Sinbad. “Then we have everything set into place for this company.”

“We’ll be changing the world for the better soon enough.”

“You were underhanded with those protesters, Sinbad. You are not allowed to use them again.”

“I won’t.” Sinbad shook his head. “They’re over and done with. The lot of them are happy to see the great arms gun designer tossing aside his sketchbook.”

“Let’s focus on me getting my own kid.”

“You have me-“

“Yeah, after you, I think my own child would be easy to take care of.” Ja’far flicked the man’s nose before heading down the hall. “I will be in my office if you need me.”

“Wait for me, Ja’far!” the man hurried after the other, slamming the man’s office door behind him. 


	35. Chapter 35

The room was filled with a musky scent. The woman on his brother’s lap was swinging her hips, lip-syncing to Beyoncé. Her damn pussy was sliding along his brother’s lap. The decency of women today, he mentally swore. Even with clothes on, they were practically naked at times. It wasn’t always bad, but sometimes he didn’t want to stare at a woman in their nothings.

The world was allowed to see him not showing off his dick in public.

“Take a break, Bey. I’m gonna take care of big boy here.” Kouha shooed the woman away, shaking his head before he was climbing on a bored Kouen’s lap.

“You know those little idiots managers from manufacturing left me here under a pile of those women?” Kouen glared at Kouha. “They kept climbing back on.”

“Poor En,” Kouha ground his hips against the man, pulling him forward by his tie and brushing his hair back. “We’ve got trouble back home though.”

“Kouha…”

“Judal quit,” Kouha murmured. “He took Kougyoku with him. They’re leaving us. They don’t even give an explanation. Kougyoku’s sporting a rather large rock though.”

“You think he’s marrying her?”

“I think she’s enjoying herself.”

“It’s game over for us, Kouha.” Kouen leaned his head back in the seat. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Since he is not working with us, then I’m sure that Koumei has told them.”

“What?”

“The slave traders found out who the father of that little brat was.” Kouen’s eyes looked up at the ceiling as he smiled. “They’ve been hounding and coming around for a while to get that boy back. They actually walked in on a meeting with Sinbad and myself. I suspect Sinbad thinks he is saving them.”

“Who’s Aladdin’s father? I don’t get it.” Kouha slid closer, feeling Kouen’s arms take hold of his hips.

“You remember the man who helped fund the Sindrian company? That middle aged fool, Solomon.”

“Oh?” Kouha leaned closer. “Sounds like Judal’s in a bit of trouble.”

“Isn’t he always?”

“Alexander has always been very difficult. He will have a hard time dealing with-“

“Judal’s name was Alexander?” Kouha shook his head. “What a boring name.”

“Aladdin’s real name is Rahoboam. At least Alexander has a name that can be easily pronounced.”

Kouha hummed, running his hands down his brother’s chest. “True enough, but I enjoyed having them with us. It’s a shame that everything is falling apart. We’re going to lose the entire corporation because of our fun.”

“We aren’t losing anything.”

“En, the company is losing-“

“We are losing money, but it will come back. There’s nothing in this world that happens more than war. As long as there are people that are different, as long as people are obsessed with the differences they see in the mirror and not what is inside; we will always have a business. People will buy our weapons because there will always be fighting.”

“Sometimes you get a little too caught up in your books, brother.”

“Says the one who seeks thrills in the flesh?”

Kouha shrugged, “I’m just your wonderful sweet friend Kouha. That’s all anyone sees. I’m so nice. So cute… No one looks too much deeper than my public actions and my compliments.”

Kouen pulled his brother a bit closer and pulled his tie off. “Get to it, brother. I don’t have time for your cute shit. Koumei should be coming in an hour to pick me up.”

“As usual, you’re expecting me to cheat on Mei.” Kouha leaned in closer. “Playing with fire, big brother. Beware of Koumei. He’s got a missile in those pants of his… How long do you think it will take the idiots to find Alexander and his pet?”

“I doubt it will take long. They’re aware of his home address.”

~

Aladdin laid in Judal’s arms once more, looking over at Ugo as they sat once more in the man’s home. Judal had driven them over after breakfast, walking up the steps towards the house and pushing his way into the home.

Ugo had motioned them to take a seat.

“I want to see the information that Solomon has about his son.”

“I’ll bring it. Please, sit down.”

And so Aladdin had found himself curling up as Judal sat down and waited. Judal’s hand was stroking his hair a little. His fingers felt good against his scalp.

“You still smell like that damn bath bomb,” Judal murmured.

“You do too. I think we should use more of those,” Aladdin replied, smiling up at him. He liked the blue color that the bath became when they used those things.

Kougyoku had only picked really nice clothes from Judal’s house so it was funny as Judal itched at his neck again. He was uncomfortable in the blue pullover and white button up underneath. Personally, Aladdin thought it suited him. Especially with his reading glasses. Yet Judal was looking more and more annoyed by it.

Aladdin sat up and straightened the collar again, pushing his hands down. “Just leave it alone, Jugemu.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Judal pulled the other closer by his little tie, kissing him gently just as Ugo came back into the room. The man hovered nearby, holding onto his papers.

“…what’s this?”

“It’s just a habit,” Judal told him, moving away from Aladdin a bit and reaching out for the papers. “I want to know what Solomon knows. If I’m going to be working for these people, I need to know what I’m up against.”

“You don’t have to worry about too much.”

“Yeah, well…” Judal flipped the folder open only to snort. His eyes were glued to something, making both the other men in the room pause.

“What is it, Judal?”

“I’m just looking at your name.”

“My name?” Aladdin moved a little closer, slipping his head under the man’s arms. Judal grumbled at him as Aladdin wrapped his hands over Judal’s and stared at the pages. He frowned as he tried to find his name. “Where… I see the name column, but there’s just rhubarb listed.”

Ugo covered his mouth, looking away as Judal started to roar with laughter.

“I am going to call you rhubarb forever. Your name’s Rahoboam, Chibi. Talk about an arrogant asshole.”

“Rahoboam was a respected king’s son.”

“Yeah, old testament or whatever shit. I thought it was supposed to be Ahmed or whatever.”

“That was the name his mother gave him,” Ugo clarified. “and it was Ahlad.”

Judal shook his head. “Even I had a better name than that beforehand.”

“What was your original name?” Ugo leaned forward. “I’ve run thousands of background checks on you and all I can find is a couple old school documents for a Middle Eastern man now living in Nebraska and a dead baby’s social security number.”

“My name is none of your damn business,” Judal replied. “I’m simply Judal Magi, former CEO of Kou Corp. That’s all I need to know and that’s all you need to know… and Aladdin is rhubarb.”

“Shut up. It’s Rohobo- Raho-“ Aladdin huffed at the name, taking the folder and looking through it. “Solomon is the worst parent. Who names their kid something so horrible?!”

“I’m not looking like such a bad parent, huh?” Judal moved a bit closer, taking some of the papers that Aladdin was spilling and looking through them. “These are highly detailed…”

Ugo nodded. “I had tracked Aladdin all the way to the Los Angeles harbor when the trail went cold. It is kind of an adventure of a tale when it comes to him. His mother lost him to some traders from down in Argentina. I don’t know the details of there, but he was moved around in the small towns before being moved up to some German speaking places in Chile.”

“Chile? Don’t you mean Spanish? I thought that was all those blokes down there spoke?”

“Interesting word choice there. Blokes…”

Judal raised a brow at him before motioning him to carry on. “Come on, I don’t have time for you interrogating me. I would rather spend my afternoon doing something more worthwhile.”

Ugo nodded, “Yes… well… Aladdin was traded around there, but they kept things by the books. I know the person that does his trading very well. He’s an old seller. He’s very popular around the Latin American countries.”

“Why do I not like that idea…”

Ugo shook his head. “Fatima is harmless once the transaction is complete. He won’t be coming around to bother you.”

“How do you know him?”

“He was the one who freed me,” Ugo said proudly.

“Well, that sounds like a great friend. Are you friends with murderers too?”

“I’m apparently friends with a pedophile. Would you care to talk about why Aladdin and you both have bite marks on your necks?”

Judal’s hands went to Aladdin’s neck. “Raccoons.”

“I’m sure.”

Judal glared at him before Ugo went on. “Anyway, Fatima has been working more up here since a friend of his has been taken off military duty. I don’t know the details of what they’re doing, but I don’t personally want to know. I just have him help me with details when people want to find their missing children.” He looked over and shook his head. “It might not be the best system, but if I just handed this method of rescuing children and people from the trade, then I would get pushed aside and the trade would find a new method of working around the police. There would be less documents to trace and it would become impossible.”

“Feel sorry for his friend. Military duty is fucking shit for the US,” Judal leaned back, letting Aladdin enjoy the documents. “I had my fill of it.”

“Three years.”

“Yeah.”

“You spent-“

“Yep, Two years in the air force and one in army. I got to go front lining. Let me tell you right now, there’s nothing nice going on in South America. All we see in the news is what they want us to know. It’s one reason I never watch the news anymore.”

Aladdin shook his head, looking at something in the folder. His hands pulled the picture out of the folder and stared at it. “I never liked being home.”

“Hmm?” Judal glanced over at him.

“Do you remember what happened,” Ugo asked.

“I remember some things.” Aladdin shook his head. “Mom wasn’t nice. She was always forcing me to take classes from this man that smelled like moldy cheese. Sometimes I wouldn’t see her for days at a time. She was always with a different stranger. I saw Solomon only once, but he wasn’t even talking to me. He was talking to mom about something and they were hitting one another.”

They had been fighting the entire time he had been forced to watch. His mother would point over at him again and again, screaming at his father and pushing at him. His father was telling her to wait and watch him longer. He needed to go away. It sounded so far away.

His mother was furious about it though. She was ripping her pearls from around her neck and telling him to just kill her and get it over with. The two stared at one another, his mother’s chest moving as she panted.

When his father went to cup her cheeks, she slapped him. ‘I hate you. Get away from my son and out of our lives,’ she told him.

“Aladdin,” Ugo looked at him in the present, making Aladdin shake his head.

“They had a fight when Solomon said something about going far away. I wanted to go with him, but mom sent him out of the house. She kept bringing other men and making me call them father. She was always crying and hitting me when she got upset. I wanted to leave and be with Solomon. The cheese smelling man took me to the park and a couple strangers started talking to me.”

“Ah, they promised to take you to Solomon then?”

“Yeah,” Aladdin nodded. “I don’t remember too much between that time though. I suffered and then a stranger with long black hair made a bid on me in a dark building. He took me with him and gave me food and shelter, then got mad when I tried to do what I was told I was supposed to. Apparently you aren’t supposed to have sex with someone just because they paid for you.”

Ugo smiled. “I’m glad someone like Judal found you, Aladdin.”

“Yeah, I tend to be helpful from time to time,” Judal replied. “I think this is a bit helpful. So Solomon knows all of this?”

“That and a little extra.” Ugo smiled. “I took the liberty of merging a couple of old files in there. As far as Solomon knows, his son is dead in a mine collapse. He’s going to have a hand that was recovered.”

Both Aladdin and Judal winced at that. “Brutal,” Judal muttered.

“I thought that it might be inconvenient for Solomon to try to claim Aladdin as his own.”

“I appreciate the thought,” Judal replied.

“Aladdin’s yours to take care of.” They all paused as a knock came at the door. Ugo smiled, moving to stand up. “I’ve got it.”

“Rhubarb,” Judal hissed, making Aladdin flinch.

“Shut up, Jigglypuff.”

“Have you been playing pokemon?”

“Yes, now stop calling me rhubarb.”

“I just find it so great. You know, we could go get a rhubarb tree for Kougyoku’s yard as an apology gift. Maybe we can all get together and make a rhubarb pie.”

“Will you st- Anise!” Aladdin leaped up, beaming as the woman walked in. Her dog barked loudly, running into the room. “Alibaba! Hey Alibaba!” Aladdin hugged the dog close, smiling more as the pup licked his face. “I missed you too, boy.”

“Woman,” Judal stood up.

“I like the facial features,” Anise commented, motioning at the cuts from her.

“Yeah? Got in a fight with a bitch. Rather nasty stuff-“

“Guys. Please.” Ugo shook his head. “It’s bad when the only ones acting like adults are the kid and the damn dog.”

“You’re right, Ugo.” Anise shook her head. Her gaze flickered over to Judal. “I have to head to Boston for a while.”

“Police?”

“Yeah,” she shook her head. “I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. They’re doing background checks though. I’m going to head away, but I can’t take Alibaba with me-“

“Oh god, no.”

“I have no one to take care of him for me. I need to go now. It’ll only be for a few months.”

Aladdin smiled. “Can we Judal? Alibaba is really sweet.”

The dog was a golden menace, Judal thought. “I would rather not.”

“He behaves really well,” Anise offered. “He’ll just sleep while you’re gone. It might be good to have a watch dog around.”

“Judal…” Aladdin hugged Alibaba closer. “Please?”

He couldn’t help but sigh. “Fine.”

Anise nodded. “Are you both staying in your home again?”

“No, I’m staying with a friend of ours for the time being. I’m probably going to be moving to a new place.”

“That’s a shame,” Ugo told him.

“We’ll miss having you both around here,” Anise murmured.

“Yeah, well, it’s not like you’ll be around, huh Anise?” Judal smirked at her. “You know, I know a good forger over in Philly.”

“Oh yeah,” she moved a bit closer. “Care to show me the before and after photos?”

“Fuck you guys and your wanting to know.”

“I’m just curious about the name. You don’t look like a Bob or Eric.”

“Would you believe me if I said Michael or Peter?”

“Only if pigs fly,” she moved in closer, smirking at him a bit more before Aladdin cleared his throat.

“The touching is okay, but he’s mine, Anise.”

“I know, sweetie.” Anise smiled down at Aladdin, letting go of Judal. “You know, you’re going to have to keep Alibaba close. He’s good at keeping horny men off you when you don’t want them around.”

“This woman is the reason I hate women in general,” Judal muttered in Ugo’s direction.

Ugo shook his head. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“It’s a pain in the ass.”

“Yeah, but she’s leaving. Let her have a little fun.” Ugo jumped a bit before pulling out his phone. “Damn… I hate Fatima’s friend.”

“What’s up?”

“Him and his friend Titus are being pains in the ass again. Apparently they have to prepare a selection of people for movement.”

“Titus…”

“Yep,” Ugo set his phone on the table, moving to pet the dog and talk to the other two as Judal slowly paled. His eyes darted to the phone.

Titus…

_I’m not ready to be broken just yet._


	36. Chapter 36

“You know, we could just focus on the other things.” Fatima looked over at the man sitting next to him and smiled. “We don’t have to worry about-“

“I need to do this.”

“It’s about that young girl, isn’t it?” Fatima moved closer. “Your commander told me about the little girl being a problem area in your regards.”

“Oh yeah? Did Yunan say that it was this bastard’s fault?”

“How?”

Titus shook his head. “I shouldn’t say anything.”

“I’m already listening. Tell me your story, Titus. You have my unending cooperation.”

Titus clicked the ammunition into the gun, checking the gun once more as he cleaned it. Their window had a good view of the man’s work building. His hands were honed to a steadiness that made the world look like it was speeding around them. His heart didn’t even speed up anymore at the memory of Marga. His spirit was dead.

“Titus,” Fatima wrapped his arms around the man. “Tell me what is bothering you. You know, I gave up the chance to spend time with my friend for you.”

“Judal and I found the girl nearly dead. He wanted to shoot her, but I brought her back to base. While half the base was getting sick because of her, Judal wore a mask that scared her and talked about killing her nonstop. We were stationed around a town that was dealing with sickness. The sickness was from Marga. I loved her though. She was a gentle little girl.”

“Ah…”

“Judal gave her up, even after we had been informed she was from a warring group of people that lived nearby. When she was killed, it was when the two groups of people were making peace. He started eight months of war between two groups of people because he couldn’t let a damn girl get well. He had her slaughtered in front of their eyes.”

“You aren’t to touch the boy-“

“I won’t touch the damn boy. You can get your damn money and have fun.” Titus cocked his gun, glaring at him with an icy look. “Judal’s mine to kill though. I’m going to enjoy slaughtering him.”

~

“Look how much Alibaba loves you, Kougyoku!” Aladdin grinned as the dog lay on Kougyoku’s lap. Judal was at his computer once more, typing away as Kougyoku and Alibaba sat on the couch nearby.

“So you both are taking care of this dog?”

“Do you mind watching him, Kougyoku?” Judal looked up for a moment, adjusting his glasses a bit on his nose. “Anise entrusted us, but I don’t think we can have a dog at half the places I’m seeing on my computer. I warned her that I might leave the pup with you.”

“I don’t see a problem with it. He is such a good puppy.” She cooed at the dog only to receive a nice lick to the face. She smiled into his kisses, making Judal make vomiting noises.

“God, that’s disgusting.”

“Shut up, cradle robber.”

“At least the baby’s human.”

Kougyoku pulled Alibaba’s paws into her lap, cooing at him more. “At least someone in this world has manners and knows how to treat a lady, don’t you, Alibaba. You won’t treat a woman like shit.”

“What are you looking up right now, Judal?” Aladdin smiled over at him.

“I’m not. I’m skype messaging Sinbad. We’ve gotten Kougyoku worked into my offer.”

“Thank you,” Kougyoku sang, flopping Alibaba’s ears and not even looking at Judal.

“Yeah…” Judal shook his head. “It looks like for the most part that everything is done. I just need to walk in and get started. We’ll be starting on Monday.”

“I love Monday,” Kougyoku cooed.

“Woman, if you and the dog are going to be doing things, I would suggest you climb up to your bedroom and do it there.” Judal shook his head at her. “Aladdin and I don’t want to watch you French kiss the golden retriever.”

“You know, you are really being rude today.” Kougyoku glared over at him. “What exactly has a stick up your ass?”

“I’m just getting a headache.”

“A headache?” Kougyoku laughed. “You’ve never gotten a real headache before. I don’t even think your brain is able to understand what a headache is.” The room went silent as Judal resumed typing again. The sound of the keys clicking and Alibaba panting could be heard before Kougyoku sighed. “You know what?”

She moved from the couch, slapping her leg a couple times for Alibaba to follow her.

“You and Aladdin can sit here in the awkward silence all day and all night for all I care. Alibaba and I are going to take a poop.”

“That was more information than I needed.” Judal shook his head, waving to the woman. “Have fun picking up his shit from your backyard.”

“Fuck you, Judal.”

She left quickly, taking the dog with her before Aladdin moved closer to the other. “Judal…”

“I am just worried about the transition,” Judal told him.

“Is it about Solomon?” The boy moved closer, resting his hands on the arm of the chair.

Those red eyes moved to look at Aladdin before Judal shook his head. “It’s nothing like that, Chibi.” The man moved his laptop onto the table, pulling Aladdin into his arms and kissing at his forehead. “I don’t think Solomon is going to be our threat. I’m just worried about being able to settle into a new type of business… It’ll be fine.”

“You’ll adjust alright, Judal.” Aladdin smiled. “If I can adjust to being here and not having to serve anyone, then I think you can adjust to being the owner of a good company.”

“You’re right,” Judal murmured. “I’m going to have to go back to the Kou Corp building for one thing this evening though.”

“You’re going to go back in there?”

“I’m going to grab something that I didn’t grab before.” Judal smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be in and out.”

“I don’t think that it’s a good idea. Can Kougyoku or someone else grab it?”

“I’m going to be gone for about fifteen minutes. It’s a short drive from here to there. I’ll be there twenty minutes if traffic is hell.”

“Judal…” Aladdin shook his head. “Not tonight.”

“I have to go during the evening.”

“I don’t want to be alone without you.” Aladdin held onto the blue pullover tighter. “I’ve been alone without you and it never ends well. What’s going to happen if Kouha comes… or one of those other bosses?”

“Chibi. I quit. I’m walking in to grab something that Kougyoku missed. As soon as that box is in my hands, I’m going to walk out and come straight here.” He leaned in closer and kissed the boy gently. “When I come back, I’m going to come in here, climb up the stairs to our room or wherever you felt the need to wait for me, I’m going to grab you, and I’m going to kiss you until you are moaning my name.”

“We can do that without you leaving.”

“I have to go. You’re making this into a bigger deal than it needs to be.”

The dog barking and a loud crash made Judal groan, setting Aladdin aside so he could get up.

“JUDAL!”

“I’m coming!” Judal moved away, heading towards the kitchen as Kougyoku complained.

“I think I almost had Alibaba get hurt!”

“You shouldn’t leave your stupid glassware down that low anyway!”

“Don’t yell at me!”

Aladdin ignored them, pulling the laptop closer and looking at it.

**Titus Laem**

**Status: Retired**

**Details: Receiving psychiatric treatment.**

**Patient has been suffering severe headaches, nausea, and bouts of extreme rage. Post-traumatic stress is considered. Patient was on medication for symptoms. Therapy has been unsuccessful with patient due to a…**

Titus?

Aladdin frowned at the name, trying to read more when one of the applications blinked at him. He smiled as he saw Sinbad’s name.

_Sinbad     I bet that the two of you are having a lot of fun together with this spare time._

They were talking about the two of them before? Aladdin couldn’t help but to smile at that, moving to type.

_Judal       Judal has gone to help Kougyoku with the dishes or something. Our dog Alibaba broke them._

_Sinbad    Aladdin?_

_Judal      Yes._

_Sinbad    Hi there, kiddo! Do you know how excited we all are for having you around?_

_Sinbad   Ja’far wanted to even buy a cake, but I told him that that would be too much._

_Sinbad   You both are going to enjoy being with us._

The man was really nice. He wasn’t sure why, but Sinbad just seemed like someone that they could really trust in the end. It was nice to at least be able to talk to Judal’s boss without being creeped out.

_Judal     I’m worried about Judal._

_Sinbad   Oh?_

Aladdin looked over towards the kitchen for a moment before continuing to type.

_Judal    Judal says that he has to go to his company tonight to grab a few papers or something._

_Judal    I don’t want him to go, but he says it will be okay._

_Sinbad is typing…_

Aladdin waited as the skype room said that Sinbad was typing, looking over worriedly. He didn’t want to upset Judal, but he had to tell someone that he was worried.

_Sinbad    If you want, Aladdin, I will give you my number. You can call me as soon as Judal leaves._

_Sinbad   The two of us can follow him and sit outside the building for him._

_Sinbad   He’s our family too. We aren’t going to let those idiots bully him._

_Judal     Can we please?_

Aladdin looked around and pulled a piece of paper from by the phone over, grabbing a nearby pen and writing down Sinbad’s number, thanking him before he turned off the computer. He shoved the paper into his pants pocket and hurried over to where Kougyoku and Judal were fighting.

“I don’t see the problem with my glass placement!”

Judal shook his head. “That’s because you’re an idiot. I swear to go- oh, Chibi…” Judal looked down as he was hugged from behind. “Alright, come here,” Judal knelt down and pressed another kiss to his lips, making Kougyoku groan.

“Come on, Alibaba. Let’s leave these morons to their cutesy moment. It’s not like we really need to stand here and watch.”

The dog barked an agreement before following after her. 


	37. Chapter 37

Judal left a little later that evening, starting the car and heading out as soon as Kougyoku had wandered off to bed.

Aladdin sat in the living room with Alibaba until the headlights were gone. His hands immediately went to the phone on the hook nearby, pulling it into his hands and dialing the number.

“Aladdin?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” Aladdin smiled a little. “He just left.”

“I’m parked right down the street. I’m going to walk up to the door alright?”

Aladdin nodded, waiting until he saw the other at the door before he hung up and opened it. Sinbad was wearing a nice leather jacket and grinning.

“Hey kiddo.”

“Hi there. Can we go?”

“Yep.” Sinbad turned. “Here. Hop on, I’ll walk us to the car.”

Aladdin was on his back faster than the man could finish his sentence, wrapping his arms around the other’s shoulders. “Let’s go.”

And off they headed, moving towards Sinbad’s bright red car. The inside was still warm, a cup of French fries were in the coaster.

“I was hungry, but I didn’t want to arrive that late for you.” Sinbad smiled. “I figured I would just relax outside and wait for you to call. If you didn’t, then I wouldn’t worry about it. If you did, I didn’t want to take as long as it would take Judal to go to work and back.”

“I appreciate that.” Aladdin told him.

“That’s what friends are for, Aladdin.” Sinbad ruffled the boy’s hair before pulling the car into motion. “So we’re going to the main Kou Corp building, right?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

Sinbad’s car was fast, zipping along the dark streets much faster than Judal drove. As they went under each lamplight, Aladdin could remember the first time he had been able to sit in a car’s passenger seat. He hadn’t been dressed that time though.

And he had been with Judal.

He smiled a little, feeling good about this decision. He would just going to make sure that Judal left the building alright. He didn’t want the other go get hurt. If it meant that Judal would be a bit upset at him for calling Sinbad, then that was alright.

It wasn’t like he really needed sex.

The smile on his face grew at that thought. Their relationship was about much more than just the fun bed times. It was about more than the simple kisses. As badly as Judal annoyed him, as much as he got on the other’s nerves; they were together because they cared about one another. There was nothing that they wouldn’t do for one another.

“Hey, you want to listen to something,” Sinbad asked, turning on the radio. Aladdin was happy to hear one of the songs he had listened to before with Judal. It looked like Sinbad liked it too. “Oh man,” the man told him, “this guy’s a genius, Aladdin.”

“I like this singer.”

“Yeah?” Sinbad glanced over at him. “You’ve got good taste, Aladdin.”

They approached the building only for Sinbad to parallel park near the parking garage’s exit.

“Alright.” Sinbad smiled. “We’ve got a first hand spot to see Judal exiting the building through the garage or front doors.”

“Yep.”

“And now we wait.”

“And now we wait,” Aladdin mimicked, crossing his arms on the dashboard and watching the entrances. It was kind of dark, but to ask Sinbad to turn on the headlights again would be a little ridiculous. He didn’t want to be a bother about something silly like that.

The man himself leaned back, shutting his eyes and pulling a book from the console between them. Flipping it open, he began to read once more.

“A Dummie’s Guide to being a Parent?”

“Hmm?”

Aladdin motioned at his book, “what’s that?”

“This?” Sinbad pointed at his book. “You remember Ja’far? He’s planning on adopting a kid. I really like him so I figure I should get familiar with being around kids and what to expect. I’ve been reading every scrap of material that I can find on the subject.”

“I could tell you about that,” Aladdin told him, returning his gaze back to the doors again.

“That’s true,” Sinbad leaned back up. “So tell me, Aladdin, how does one take care of a kid?”

“You just have to pay attention to them and be yourself. If you are really honest and sometimes do really nice things for them, then you will both be happy.”

“Sounds like any relationship really.”

“It’s as easy as that,” Aladdin told him. “It’s kind of annoying when people try to always baby you.”

“I see.” Sinbad nodded before leaning on the steering wheel. “I think that you make an excellent point, Aladdin.”  

Aladdin and Sinbad resumed the quiet, listening to the radio more as they waited outside the building. The night around them continued to pass in silence as they sat together. Sometimes they would see a few people walking by. Cars passed as a steady rate.

Sinbad would check the clock from time to time. Occasionally he would shift in his seat. His fries were being munched by both of them as they waited. It was taking a lot longer than Judal had said.

What was he doing, Aladdin wondered.

Aladdin froze as he saw the lip stick man move to the doors, The white mane of hair and the face was unmistakable.

“Oh no…”

“Aladdin?”

“Sinbad… We need to go inside.” Aladdin looked over at him, pale as a sheet. “I think we need to get up to Judal.”

“Aladdin, I don’t get it.” Sinbad looked ahead of them. “Do you know him?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s probably just grabbing paperwork. It’ll be fine, Aladdin.”

“We need to get Judal.” Aladdin pushed at him a bit before he reached for the door handle.

“Whoa! Aladdin!” Sinbad pulled him over, making sure he didn’t open the door. “Relax a little, alright? It’s just a girl. I’ll call Judal right now.”

“What if he doesn’t answer?”

Sinbad winked. “I’m his boss, remember? He’s got to answer to me.”

They both waited as Sinbad dialed on his phone. The car rang quietly as they waited for Judal to pick up on the other end.

It was like a frost was taking over his body. Aladdin felt so worried. He looked ahead of them as he saw the other waiting by the door. He tried to make out what the other was doing and grew more worried by the way he was standing. He looked like he was waiting for someone.

Why would he be waiting for someone? Who was in the building with Judal?

The more time that this took, the more worried that Aladdin became. He could feel his insides twisting uncomfortably.

Judal…

Judal, please…

Aladdin prayed to the heavens above as he sat in that seat.

Answer the phone…

Pick up the phone for me…

Pick up the phone for Sinbad…

The ringing was like a mocking song, teasing him with another second of silence. He wanted to run. He needed to run to Judal.

“That’s strange for him to be this silent.” Sinbad looked over at Aladdin. “You’re not going yet though, alright? I brought you out of the safety of your home and I’m responsible for you. We’re going to try again and if he doesn’t answer, I will personally walk you to his office.”

“You will?”

“Aladdin, I will do whatever it takes to ensure that you and Judal are both safe.” Sinbad was adamant on that.

They were family.

Aladdin nodded, watching Sinbad dial again.

They were all a family. Him and Judal, Kougyoku, Anise, Ugo, Ja’far and Sinbad too; they were all a big family. They took care of one another during the tough times and laughed together during the good times. They were going to get through this.

The lipstick man was talking on the phone now. Aladdin could see the smile and bounced in his seat.

“We need to go now,” Aladdin told Sinbad.

“Aladdin.” Sinbad shook his head. “One more- ALADDIN NO!”

Aladdin couldn’t wait. He was rushing out the door before Sinbad could say another word. He sprinted towards the doors, seeing the lipstick man turn and smile brighter. A cloth was almost instantly in his hand, a vial being poured onto it.

“There you are!”

The man tried to grab for him, making Aladdin scream as he ducked. Just as the man’s hands went to grab for him, Aladdin felt Sinbad move in. Sinbad had the other pulled away so fast that Aladdin barely saw it. The lipstick man went flying into the glass doors of the Kou Corp building’s front doors.

“DO NOT TOUCH HIM!” Sinbad roared.  

Aladdin leaped over the man and ran into the building, ignoring the fighting behind him as he rushed towards the stairs.

Judal’s office was on the third floor.

Please, Aladdin thought as he ran. Please be safe, Judal.

His heart pounded against his ribs as he ran, his feet taking the stairs two at a time. He could feel the shadows pressing in on him as he ran. It felt like the whole building was full of more people like the lipstick man, just waiting to come and take him away.

He had to save Judal. He had to get to Judal.

He was never going to let him go once they were together.

Please be safe, Judal.


	38. Chapter 38

The box was in his office. He had set it there for its safe keeping.

Perhaps it was a foolish thing to do, but he had no place in his home that would allow him to keep it. He didn’t want it sitting in his space. If he had it somewhere where he relaxed, he only would have looked back. The memories would have filled him all over.

As his jeep had leaped through the night, heading torwards the building; Judal could do nothing but curse himself over this decision.

What he needed right now was to be with Aladdin, but the box…

He couldn’t let anyone find it. If they knew the truth of him, there would be inquiries.

All the pieces were falling into place. He would never have to look back. After he would grab this box, he would drive somewhere and burn it, forget that there had ever been a name before Judal. This was his life now.

He turned into the parking garage and ignored the spaces on the ground level. Instead he drove up to the third level and parked by the door.

Quick, quick, quick.

He needed to be in and out before anyone really took in the fact that he was here. The Kou brothers wouldn’t be in the building right now. All there would be is the night workers and maybe Hakuei. She wouldn’t bother him though. He needed to get to that damn floorboard in his office immediately.

The keys to the building were still in his car. He unlocked and went through to the skywalk. The city lights reflected off the glass. Never again would he walk this path. Never again would he be trying to reach for something in an effort to let go.

Aladdin had been able to shed his past.

He should be able to as well.

The building loomed over him, watching with the eye from that box.

The box was the thing he needed. He had to grab it. It needed to burn. He had to get rid of the last of his past and move on now.

A beep sounded as he swiped his ID card, the door opening only to be shoved by him. His feet carried him across the dark carpeting. There was no one in the cubicles for once. The computers were all left on, but there was no one.

It must have been a damn birthday or something.

Judal moved further through the building, heading along the hallway towards his office.

The nameplate for Kouen flashed passed.

There would be no more of that man. He would never have to wonder about what the other was planning, whether or not he was trusted. Kouen would never again be coming into his office to read or speak cryptically. He would never have to wonder about whether or not he should inform him about the misconceptions he had about the old beliefs.

That would have sparked too many questions though.

The nameplate for Koumei passed.

Never again would he be walking into that man’s office to find him asleep. He wouldn’t be seeing the other sitting in the courtyard by the building, feeding pigeons and playing chess with old men. The man would be but a memory. Koumei had been a simple person.

The nameplate for Kouha passed.

There would be no more of the pushy brat around. Kouha would never again be trying to find out the truth of him. He wouldn’t be making housecalls or anything. It would be as though he had never existed.

No more of those three.

Judal pushed the door to his office open and moved across the room. His hands were shoving the bookshelf aside, letting it crash onto the floor nearby before he was on his knees.

Identity, Judal thought to himself, come here and let me burn you from this world.

The floorboard was still cracked in the same place he had broken it. His hands pulled the piece of wood away from the wall, his nails dug into the hole only to begin pulling the small box out.

The all-knowing eye on the box stared back at him, displayed upon the bright orange and black background of the box. His hands shook as he pulled it out. It was still here. No one had touched it. His hands lifted the lid up.

Alexander Sun stared back at him.

“Hello, dead friend,” Judal murmured, his heart calming just slightly.

A click came from behind him, making his blood run cold.

“Hello, Judal…”

The man had found him. It shouldn’t have been that surprising. Judal had not hidden away that much. He had thought that the other would have needed more time though. He had been brought back only a couple weeks back.

“Titus,” Judal greeted, closing the box and looking behind himself.

The blond looked ragged, like he hadn’t been eating or sleeping right. His eyes had a cloudiness to them, like he wasn’t all there in the mind. Or perhaps that was just the impression that he wanted to give. Judal wasn’t going to dwell on the details when there was a gun to his back. “Are you going to shoot me, Titus?”

“You had Marga killed.”

“Did I now?” Judal turned, feeling the barrel of the gun moved to remain over his heart. “Was I truly the one that killed her? If I remember the brat much anymore, I would swear that it was the knives of a group of savages that killed her.”

“They were always just savages in your eyes, weren’t they?” Titus kicked at his face, sending Judal falling back. Judal pulled the box under him with his legs. He needed to escape now. “There is no one in your eyes, is there, Judal? No people. No things. You’re a monster, the true monster in this world. You are selfishness in true form.”

“Marga was killing those savages.”

“SHE WAS A CHILD! SHE WAS GETTING BETTER!”

The gun was shaking in his hand. He was lost in that mind of his. Judal could see it so easily. There was no telling what he would do. “Marga was the reason for their pain. Those people were itching to fight. They would have blamed one another with or without my help.”

“Marga would have lived,” Titus screeched. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard.

Judal moved in closer. “Titus…”

The floor was shot, right between his legs, near his dick. “Don’t come any closer to me, you greedy fuck.” Titus pulled his phone out as it rang, watching Judal as he answered.

“What? …I don’t care. The kid’s not with him. If he’s not in the jeep, then just wait. Maybe he’s hiding… You’re what… okay… Wait by the door for me. I’m going to finish this guy here….”

“You are working with the slave trade to find me?”

“Fatima took me in after I got out, saved me from a situation.” Titus leaned in closer. “You recognize this gun, Judal?”

“I do.”

“Tell me about it.”

“It’s my gun from the front lines…” The one that had been sitting in his basement. He had placed it in a case, covered with a black cloth. A symbolic gesture for a time and death of his army self.

“You know where I got this?”

“I do…”

Titus was shaking more, either from the adrenaline or something. He wasn’t the same man that Judal had seen in the base. This person was broken. “We’re going to replay her last few hours together again. Just for old time’s sake. When it’s over, I’m gonna do you the kindness that you wouldn’t show her. I’m gonna kill you.”

“She was dying anyway.”

“SHE WOULD HAVE LIVED!”

Judal looked up at him. “You can kill me, but you won’t get that boy. He’s gone.”

“Did you kill him too, Judal?”

“I enjoyed every second of it,” Judal purred, balling his fists. “He died just like Marga. Screaming and crying, his little fists trying to reach for me. His blue eyes looked up at me with such vulnerability. It was just like how Marga was when we found her almost dead.”

“I should have known you were that way. Yunan tried to convince us all otherwise, but I knew… you’re nothing but a murderer.”

“I am.”

The barrel of the gun was pressed to his forehead as Titus pulled out a knife. “I’m going to enjoy this then. I’ll gut you like you should have been gutted long ago.”

“Yes, please,” Judal hissed. “Kill me, Titus. Prove to yourself that you are the monster you think you are. We have always been so much alike.”

“I… I was nothing like you!”

“Are you sure?” Judal leaned up, daring him to pull that trigger. Aladdin was safe with Kougyoku. When they would find his body, Kougyoku would take Aladdin to Sinbad and Ja’far or take care of him herself. She would not let any harm come to him. Kougyoku and Aladdin both loved him too much. They would be one another’s rock in case of his death.

He had no doubt of that.

“I’m nothing like you,” Titus growled, his knife going to Judal’s leg, right by his balls. The man intended to kill him from that starting point. The pain would make him pass out before death.

“You are,” Judal told him softly. “We are so much alike, Titus. We joined the army at the same time, both doing piloting and then going to army. We were in the same group together for so long. Am I even real to you anymore?” Judal moved in closer, watching the other shake. “When I look in the mirror, it isn’t even me I see anymore, Titus. It’s you. It’s always been you.”

That was it, he needed to psych him out. Make him shoot himself or something.

Titus shook his head, “WE ARE NOT THE SAME!”

“How many people did we kill together,” Judal murmured. “How many bodies lie in a coffin, people crying over them as some priest says prayers? That was us, Titus. You and me together. It’s always been us. It always will be us. You think you can stand there and tell me that you are a pure person in spirit, but what I see… what I see in you is the same darkness that is in me. We’re closer than brothers, Titus. After killing me, you will have to kill Fatima. Everyone in this building will come after you. You’ll watch person and after person fall. You’ll run, but I’ll always be there, Titus. I’ll watch you from every window, every shadow.”

“SHUT UP!”

The knife dug into his thigh, but Judal didn’t stop, he had a hand almost to his gun.

“We’re the same,” Judal murmured. “We will always be together in mind. You wanted Marga dead as much as me. We wanted her dead. Togeth-“

“STOP!”

A shot rang out in the room, the two of them pressed together. It wasn’t Titus who had yelled though. It wasn’t Judal who stood with a bullet in him. The two men stared at one another, the gun aimed towards the door.

 


	39. Chapter 39

Just like that, every piece of him knew what was happening.

His senses heightened at the recognition. His eyes followed the line of the barrel. The metal gleamed before his eyes. He could see the figure in the doorway, his body turned away. The bullet moved faster than him, already gone as he shoved at Titus.

His face was draining, his adrenaline running as he saw the boy get hit. Those blue eyes opened wider, mouth opening as he began to fall.

The world was falling apart around him as he saw Aladdin fall back. The impact was the shock, the bullet the force. The thoughts in Judal’s head fractured, breaking into pieces as he heard Titus speak. The words must have been in another language though. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. His body was moving on its own.

His hands dug into the other’s clothes, face moving forward to hit him. Whether the other said anything after that was lost on him. His eyes were replaying the scene before him.

Over and over, he could see the blue braid flying up as the boy fell. He could see the shock and fear in those eyes.

Judal’s hands couldn’t hold Titus enough. Pure, unadulterated rage was running through his body. His fists hit at the other man again and again. He could hear laughing, but he wasn’t sure where it was coming from.

He had to kill him. His blood sang for death. His mind echoed all the training that the army had taught him. He would snap his neck, shoot him, stab him, break him. He was going to make sure that Titus never breathed this air again. It was too pure for him. It was too full of life.

The window was shot as Titus tried to fight back, but Judal stole the gun from him in their tussle. His hands aimed and hit him right in the left lung, right between two ribs. He knew where to shoot. This was his gun. This was his comfort, his safety…

No…

This was his monster. This was his past that would not be left behind. Everything he had been was this gun and it was going to kill him.

Those blue eyes stared up at him in terror as Judal sent him falling against the window. The window shattered, half of Titus’s body hung outside the window. The wind was blowing in as Judal stalked forward. Each bullet he sent towards the man hit another vital organ. He wouldn’t live if his liver was pierced. He couldn’t live if his heart couldn’t beat. He couldn’t live if a bullet went through the underside of his face, right into that brain…

Judal paused, staring into the face of his demon…

“We… we are…”The man coughed, smiling slightly. “We are alike… you didn’t kill him… you…” the coughing was growing worse as the glass from the window pressed into him more, the shock from the bullets taking over. “…protected him… now you are goin… live like me… forever…”

The shot rang in his ears as Judal shot him one final time. The light leaving those eyes…

Forever.

He moved back, lifting Titus’s body up and tossing it out the window. It fell through the air, gathering speed as it began to fall. And with that falling, went the strength Judal had felt within him. His languid body walked drunkenly towards the door, towards where the small body lay.

His hands reached out, pulling that body into his arms.

His comfort, his future…

“Aladdin…”

“Love you…” Aladdin looked up at him, smiling a little. “Are you hurt? I saw the gun and got scared.”

“Chibi…”

“It’s cold…”

Dear god, not the cliché. Judal held him closer.

“I am gonna take a nap…”

“No… Chibi, don’t you dare!”

Those blue eyes closed on him though, his head leaning a little closer.

"NO!" Judal screamed out, holding the other in his arms. His body couldn’t stop shaking, his world crumbling down around him. "No, no…. no…"

He could hear pounding in his ears. He could feel the blood running through his veins like a sick disease. it was too quiet here, too peaceful. His heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest and run. 

The footsteps from the figure were barely registering as he held the little one in his arms. There was nothing he could do, yet he couldn’t set the one in his arms down. Those eyes were closed. The child lying in his arms had his chest moving slowly up and down. 

 _Open your eyes_ , Judal wanted to scream, but his voice was lost. He couldn’t stop the shock that was running through his body from this. The bloodcurdling scream that came from the man echoed through the area, ringing out into the night. 

The figure was getting closer, running towards where they were. Judal didn’t even see them as he cried out. The box he had come for lay in the midst of the mess. Blood was everywhere.

“JUDAL! ALADDIN!”

The man was coming over, pulling out a phone.

“I’VE GOT A KID SHOT AND A MAN BLEEDING! I NEED AN AMBULANCE!”

Judal felt the other pulled his head up. His voice was raspy from his screams. He couldn’t feel, couldn’t move. He needed to remain right here, holding the boy in his arms. He had to hold onto him. He couldn’t let go. His body wasn’t capable of letting go.

It was all him.

From the very beginning of all of this, he had sentenced the boy to this. He had known that Titus would come after him someday. He had known the other held that grudge. Yunan’s words should not have been his safety.

He should have gone after him the moment Ugo had said the man’s name.

Aladdin would have been safe without him.

How many others were out there, breathing his name as they cleaned their guns? They were going to kill him one day soon. Aladdin shouldn’t have had to suffer.

“JUDAL!”

A smack came across his face from the man. Those golden eyes glared at him. “He’s still breathing! We need to get him downstairs.”

“He… Chibi…” Judal couldn’t speak.

“Stay with me,” Sinbad demanded. “You are my family and so is he. We’re going to take care of you both, alright? Can you move?”

“No…”

Sinbad groaned, biting his lip and trying to think. “We need to apply pressure to the wounds. Where are yours.”

“Heart…”

“Shit!”

“chibi… focus on chibi.” His mental scars could wait.

Sinbad pulled the boy from his arms, feeling him and shaking his head. “It looks like the bullet’s in his shoulder, I don’t know whether it hit his heart.”

Judal felt the world spinning, his gaze going into and out of focus. The shock… This was what those soldiers had spoken of. This was what true shock felt like. It was like a poison, infecting his abilities. It was keeping him from being rational.

“Judal? Ah damn it!” Sinbad pulled his shirt off, holding it to the boy’s shoulder area. “Aladdin? Can you hear me?”

Others were approaching, freaking out around them. Judal could see Hakuei calling someone, but the words they said were melting into background noise. It was like a buzzing.

“All my fault,” he murmured. “I should have protected him from me… Not just the slave trade…”

Sinbad’s eyes flickered to him a moment before he focused on Aladdin once more. “BREATHE FOR ME, GUYS! I DON’T GET TO LOSE YOU AFTER ALL THE SHIT I’VE DONE!”

Judal felt his mind fogging out, his body beginning to shut down before the EMTs were there. The ambulance people gathered around, pulling Aladdin onto a stretcher. Judal felt his body moved as well. His body was forced to lay, his eyes drifting over to Aladdin.

He was right there, laying so quietly. They were covering the wound. That was good. Wounds needed covering.

They would need to take out the bullet though.

There was no need to take care of Titus’s body though. That was gone. There would be no more Titus after them. He could see two body bags as they were pulled out of the building. Sinbad clarified that for him.

“There was a man trying to kidnap Aladdin. Lipstick wearing idiot didn’t get to even touch him.”

The trader that he had gotten Aladdin from… he was dead…

Aladdin would be safe.

If he lived, no one would know that he was a human trafficked slave. He would be able to do whatever he wanted in peace. He could be like Sinbad or Ugo…

He could be happy.

“Sinbad…” Judal looked up at the other. “Sinbad… Call Solomon.”

“What?” Sinbad climbed into the ambulance with him and Aladdin, ignoring the EMTs trying to pull him out.

“Call Solomon, tell him his son is going to the hospital and that he needs to come.”

Sinbad stared at him in shock, being shoved out before the ambulance doors shut.

The sirens went off as they left the building.

No more Kou Corp. No more Titus. No more human traffic business.

Judal looked over at the boy next to him, reaching out to grab the boy’s hand. His hand was so cold. His skin was so pale. He should have been making Aladdin go outside a little more often than he did. There was no doubt that he was the worst parent.

He could never take care of a child. There was nothing good about him.

Above all else, he was a soldier, a weapon of war. Where he went, death followed. The grim reaper was the minstrel to his life, singing him towards his fate. He would never escape. He would never know what love was.

It wasn’t to say that he didn’t try. He had opened himself. After years of working and growing more and more ambitious, after feeling the rush that death had brought him; he had let his walls fall to pieces.

“I love you, Chibi,” Judal stated, loud enough that the EMTs looked over at him. Their eyes went to the hands pressed together, deciding to let him hold onto Aladdin a little longer.

“My name is Alexander,” Judal went on to say. “My name’s Alexander Sun. I’m from a hellish town in Maine. I’m 19….” He could feel a wetness in his face. He tried to blink through it. What was this?

“Sir, you need to rest,” one of the EMTs told him. Her hands moved to him.

“TAKE CARE OF HIM!” Judal screamed, making the others cover their ears.

They reached the hospital only for the EMTs to pull Judal’s hand from Aladdin’s. That soft hand left his grip, the boy disappearing in one direction as Judal was wheeled to another room.

The doctor was waiting for him when he entered, but there were only cuts and the slash on his thigh. He would be fine. His doctor smiled at him, pulling his chart by the bed. She tried to get him to relax. “Your friend is in another room, but I will go see what he is doing. The EMTs said your name was Ale-“

“It’s Judal.” Judal shook his head. “My name is Judal Magi.”

“Ah, right… Well, I’m going to get your discharge papers for you. You’re in alright condition. The police have a few questions, but then you’ll be free to go.”

Judal nodded.


	40. Chapter 40

“WHERE IS HE?!”

The man was running into the hospital, Ja’far trailing after him as Sinbad looked up. The purple haired man waved at the two. “Aladdin’s in the ICU and Judal is being interrogated by the police right now.”

Solomon moved forward and glared at him. “Do you know how upset I am right now? This son of a bitch held my son right in front of me and lied to me. He bought my son like a-“

“Keep your voice down,” Ja’far murmured, hitting Solomon. Looking to Sinbad, Ja’far shook his head. “Do you know how long he’s been screaming? I swear, it was like waking up in the seventh circle of hell.”

“Sorry, Judal told me… and I had to call. The man was out of it.”

“I don’t care!” Solomon glared at him. “That is my son. He should have been with me! I should have been the one taking care of him! Judal’s gotten him shot!”

“Quiet down, old man,” Sinbad hissed. He set his coffee down before he splashed the idiot with it. “Judal did far more for that boy than you ever have. You weren’t here all damn day. I know you were at some strip club down south all day. Aladdin and Judal care for one another far more than you did. Judal was broken this evening. You should see the body of the guy who shot your boy. I haven’t seen anyone damaged as badly as Judal made this guy look. Not to mention he tossed the idiot out a window.”

Ja’far winced. “Sinbad, please explain. I thought you were going to a class this evening.”

“Aladdin told me he was worried because Judal was going to his old workplace to pick something up. I told him that I would take him and there were two people there… I don’t know the details, but Aladdin was almost snagged by one and the other was up with Judal. I killed the one who tried to grab Aladdin and the other guy… I don’t even know. I don’t want to remember.”

“Sin?”

“You could see it in his eyes, Ja’far.” Sinbad looked over at him. “There was something in Judal’s eyes when he held Aladdin’s body. He wasn’t going to let himself live if Aladdin didn’t make it. He was gasping for air, trying to hold onto him as much as he could. His body was colder than Aladdin’s. He wasn’t even that hurt, but he said his heart was hurt.”

The man was visibly shaking as Ja’far moved in a little closer, rubbing his back.

“He cares more about Aladdin than you ever did, Solomon.” Sinbad’s gaze flickered over to the man. “I told you what Judal told me to only because he told me to. You don’t get to take him. I won’t let you rip these two from one another. Judal won’t let anything bad happen to Aladdin. I think he would kill himself if he had to.”

“Sin, you should sit down.” Ja’far rubbed his back. “You’re starting to go into shock.”

“Ja’far, I-“

“I know.” Ja’far smiled gently. “Don’t worry…”

“I. Want. My. Son!”

Sinbad moved, but Ja’far moved in front of him, punching Solomon as hard as he could. The lighthaired advisor was glaring at Solomon as he pulled his fist back. “It’s not about what you want, you brainless idiot! Child care is not about your selfish wishes. What it’s about is taking care of someone young who needs guidance! Judal knows this far better than you! He managed what you will never understand. He was there when Aladdin needed him.”

“Then how come-“

 Sinbad hit the man this time. Solomon’s nose bled out as Sinbad wrapped an arm around Ja’far. “I think Ja’far and I have come to an agreement about your semi-role in the company. Our group is asking you to resign. The two of us are going to be taking care of Aladdin and Judal. If you try to grab for the boy, we will throw your wife’s will as well as our own set of lawyers on your ass.”

“You can’t do this!”

Ja’far went to speak when the black haired man moved into the waiting room. The man walked towards them, his face ashen.

“Judal!” They all stared at him before Solomon was walking fast, moving to hit him when Judal grabbed his fist.

“You stole my son!”

“He’s yours.” Judal stared at him. “Take him.”

Ja’far and Sinbad both paused as he said that. Solomon stared at him as Judal looked at him with a stoic face.

“I will sue you so horribly that you will be locked in a cell forever. You’ll never see the sun again.”

“Euthanize me,” Judal dared. “Stab me right now, old man.”

“That would be too easy. I want you to suffer for what you’ve done.”

The other’s red eyes seemed to blaze at those words, his fingers gripping Solomon’s fist tighter, making the knuckles begin to crack somehow. “You think I’m scared to suffer? You honestly think I give two shits about being tortured. Hell would be a heaven for me. I said take your son if you think you can take care of him. Otherwise you hand him to one of those two nitwits. You don’t know what torture is, old man. You don’t know what it feels like to feel true pain. Did you sleep last night?”

“Did I… what?”

“Did you sleep last night?” Judal’s voice rang through the room, a couple nurses hovering nearby. The violence was getting out of hand in this place. “I bet you slept easily,” Judal purred. “Before your kid, I never slept. I would remain in a state of terror when my eyes closed. Each day was the same climb to the top. If I had more, I would stop feeling this torture. I wouldn’t fall asleep to remember the army base torturing me. I wouldn’t remember watching a fucking eight year old African girl dying because a village decided she was the cause of their disease. Every day was the same. I was always fucking reaching. I never needed friends or feelings. They’re all the same. Your stupid boy wormed his way right in from the moment I bought him. I only bought the damn boy to make my bosses not think I was afraid of doing something illegal.”

“…What…” Solomon was at a loss, as were Ja’far and Sinbad. The three stared at the shaking man.

“He wormed his way right into my life. He threw everything into the air. I didn’t even want to care for him at first. I just needed him out of the way. But he kept  _pushing_ ,” Judal’s fist pushed at Solomon’s hand, “ _And pushing!_  He broke every wall I had put up in me. He made the past not matter. You want to know what it feels like to suffer, then dig a knife right through your damn chest and live around that blade every single day. Wake up in the morning and gasp for every breath you take. That was me. That was how it was before  _him_.”

“Judal,” Sinbad moved forward only to see the man letting go of Solomon. He began to run.

“Sin!”

Sinbad was already running after him though. “WATCH ALADDIN FOR ME, JA’FAR!”

The man disappeared around a corner as Ja’far nodded.

They could hear a little voice calling out for Judal from the other room.

“My son,” Solomon went forward, trying to head into the room only for Ja’far to get in the way.

“He’s not your son, not anymore.” Ja’far glared at him. “If you come any closer to him right now, I will not be responsible for my actions.”

“Aladdin!” A woman ran into the hallway, running towards them. Her pink hair fluttered out behind her as she ran towards them.

“Who are you?” Ja’far stopped her, frowning as the other shook her head.

“My name’s Kougyoku-“

“Judal’s secret-“

“Yes, please! I think Aladdin will need this!” She held up the stuff polar bear. “Sinbad said the two of them were hurt and I know how much this thing means to Aladdin.”

Ja’far took the bear from her, nodding. “I’ve seen this guy before.”

“Judal got it for him.”

The boy’s screams could still be heard as Ja’far turned. “Do me a favor, Miss Kougyoku. Keep this man from entering.” He motioned at Solomon before moving into the other room.

He wasn’t going to let Aladdin be in pain.

Whatever Judal was thinking, Sinbad would talk to him and calm him down. It sounded like whatever had happened was too much for him to bear. For someone like Judal or even Aladdin…

They needed someone older to take care of them.

Ja’far moved to the door, pushing the doctors aside and seeing the boy flailing against the nurses.

“STOP! LET ME GO! JUDAL! JUDALLLLL!” The boy was screaming, terrified. He had obviously never been to a hospital before. He was trying to pull out the IVs. His shoulder was bleeding out.

“ALADDIN!” Ja’far yelled, making the room flinch.

The boy’s eyes flew to him, his eyes recognizing him. “JA’FAR! Judal! I need Jud-“

“He’s sleeping!” Ja’far hurried over to the bedside and held the bear for the boy to hold. Aladdin’s grip into the polar bear plush’s soft fur was tight.

“He’s asleep…?”

Ja’far nodded, brushing at Aladdin’s hair. The heart monitor was slowing down a little, going back to a normal heart rate. “Judal was put in another room while they pulled the bullet out.”

“You were shot in the shoulder,” one of the doctors told him.

“What about the man that was trying to kill Judal?”

The doctors stared at him as Ja’far shook his head. “That man has been taken care of. He’s been taken somewhere where so that he can never hurt you both again.” Judal had taken him there.

“Judal can’t sleep alone,” Aladdin stared over at him, his eyes filled with the remaining unshed tears. “I don’t want to be here alone.”

“I’m going to stay here with you,” Ja’far promised. “Judal has been set into a small sleep. He has to sleep connected to some machines as well.”

“Ja’far… I can’t be in here… These machines… I don’t want to go back,” his voice was getting so weak.

The trafficking memories must have been coming back. Ja’far climbed onto the bed with him, ignoring the doctors as he wrapped his arms around Aladdin. “I’m going to remain right here by your side, Aladdin. You’re going to be attached a little longer, but we’re going to make sure that when Judal sees you, he can hug you as much as you want. Right now, if we take you off the machines and bring you to Judal, you’ll be too weak.”

“I miss Judal.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Ja’far promised, shushing the boy a little as the doctors resumed to check his vitals and everything. They made him take off his shoes, but Ja’far let them. Aladdin was scared. He needed someone right here.

“Ja’far, if I’m not there with Judal, he’ll have the nightmares come back. He’ll think about Yunan again.”

“Yunan?”

“Yeah.” Aladdin looked up at him. “I can’t let Judal have nightmares. He hurts those around him when he doesn’t sleep next to me. Please tell the hospital to bring him to me soon.”

“I will make sure they do, but you need sleep too.”

Aladdin shook his head, crying quietly. “I’m too scared to sleep. This is like the room I was in before. There are plain white walls and an IV in me. I don’t want to close my eyes and be back. I don’t want to lose everyone.”

“Aladdin…” Ja’far shook his head, feeling his eyes tear up, “No one will take you away from us. I will swear on anything that you want me to. You are going to come home with all of us. We’re going to work in Judal’s office and we’re going to go to Disneyland and everything. You are never going back to that life before.”

Please Sinbad, Ja’far prayed. Please bring Judal back to this boy.


	41. Chapter 41

Aladdin couldn’t breathe very well. He felt the pain in his shoulder and stared up at the man holding him. Ja’far was murmuring a French song to him. He recognized it immediately.

_« Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques,_

_Dormez vous? Dormez vous?_

_Sonnez les matines, Sonnez les matines”_

It was just like the one his mother had used to sing.

What if he was asleep though? What if this was all a dream from those drugs?

He could feel the needle in his arm, the IV bag was dripping quietly. There were cries of pain in the distance. It was exactly like before, except that the room was cleaner than before. The plush bear in his arms said this was real though. He wasn’t back in the place from before.

“Ja’far…” Aladdin cuddled a little closer.

“I have my phone. I think we can find a pdf or something on the internet if you want to have me read you a story or something.”

“I need to see Judal.”

“Judal’s sleeping,” a voice told them.

Ja’far looked over at him, staring silently for a moment before Sinbad gave him a look. The hands around Aladdin’s waist held onto him a bit tighter.

“The doctors said that we could take Aladdin home in the morning, but Judal is going to be busy.”

“I will stay with Judal,” Aladdin told them.

“We-“

“Please stop lying to me. Judal doesn’t sleep without me. I know this better than you both.” Aladdin glared at Sinbad. “Where’s Judal?”

Let his racing heart be wrong, he begged silently. The other had held a gun to Judal before he had distracted him. If he was dead o-

“He’s okay. He just vanished.” Ja’far shook his head. “We don’t know where he is.”

“Aladdin…” Sinbad moved into the room more, standing at the foot of the bed. “I don’t know where he went, but I will find him-“

“He left me…” Aladdin looked down, staring at the bear in his arms.

“He was afraid,” Sinbad replied. The duo on the bed stared at him in surprise as he said that. “Judal wanted to be able to care for you, but this happened. I think he feels responsible for this. You should have seen him holding you, Aladdin. He didn’t leave you and, if he did, it was because he was afraid of making you get hurt because of him.”

“I’ve always been a burden to him.”

“You are not a burden,” Ja’far murmured, hugging him awkwardly. “Just wait and stay with Sinbad and I for a while. We’re going to take care of you until we find Judal. Then the three of us will beat some sense into him.”

“I don’t think we’ll be able to find him.”

“That’s no way to talk,” Kougyoku walked in, shaking her head. “Sorry, the doctors are assholes in this place.”

“Do you know where Judal would go,” Sinbad asked.

“Not a clue, the man’s about as open as a safe.”

The two men sighed as Aladdin held onto his bear.

Judal had left though.

They didn’t have to keep trying to coat things up. For whatever reason, the other had run. He had been conscious, just a little before. He hadn’t completely lost consciousness. He had felt the man cry. He had seen Judal look down at him. His face had been so contorted in fear. His eyes had been glistening as he had looked down at him.

All he could think of at the time was telling him his thoughts. He had told the other that he loved him. He really loved him. That man in the other room must have been that Titus guy. But he had been alright. If he could run, it meant that the other hadn’t been able to hurt him.

Aladdin nodded to himself, staring down at his bear.

Judal had left him, but he couldn’t go away forever. Judal had been having so many nightmares that night he had come to stay with him. He had been crabby and tired. Judal had held him so close when he had nearly drowned in Sinbad’s pool. He had gone into attacking that man so fast when he had been shot.

Judal loved him.

Was it the love that made him run?

He was always trying to push him away. He was always trying to hide. When Aladdin had finally gotten in close, he could see the hint of something. It had looked like fear. He knew it now. Judal had been afraid of him.

_My name’s Alexander…_

He couldn’t remember all that the other had said, but he remembered the hand holding onto his.

“Aladdin, please don’t cry,” Ja’far held the bear up for him a bit more. “Please, don’t cry. It’s going to be alright.”

“He might have run because of Solomon,” Aladdin told him.

“Solomon will not come near you,” Sinbad told him.

Aladdin just held his polar bear close and let himself focus on the pain in his shoulder. It made him feel distracted from crying. The others hung around him until the doctors forced them to leave for a few minutes. Once more, they messed with the bandages.

“You’re lucky,” the man told him, “It was a bad shot. The person shooting only managed to graze you mostly.”

“Can I leave?” Aladdin looked up at him, surprised.

“I think if you come back in a week so I can check this again, then yes. I will talk to your friends about getting you discharged in the morning. I don’t want you running around or anything. You’ll be on bed rest at home for a while.”

“That’s alright. I don’t want to be stuck in here.”

The man nodded, moving to leave.

Once more Aladdin was stuck in the room alone for a moment.

As Ja’far returned into the room and climbed back onto the bed with him, Aladdin sighed.

“It sounds like you’ll be coming home with us tomorrow,” Ja’far offered as comfort.

“I don’t know what to do, Ja’far. I don’t want to be alone.”

“You aren’t going to be left alone. You have Sinbad and me. Kougyoku is still staying with us.” Ja’far moved in a bit closer, “and you have your bear Judal.”

Aladdin nodded. “I hope that Judal comes back to me like the little prince.”

“Hmm?”

Aladdin shook his head. “It’s a story.”

“We have all night. Tell me about the little prince.”

Sinbad moved into the room with another cup of coffee, settling into a seat as Aladdin and Ja’far laid in bed.

“There was once this prince,” Aladdin told him. “He had his own planet where he lived and took care of these little volcanoes.”

“Volcanoes?”

“Please don’t interrupt… Yeah, he had little volcanoes. Anyway, one day he finds this rose on his planet. It was a really beautiful rose, but she needed taken care of. The little prince took good care of her, but he was growing tired of taking care of her. He leaves and starts travelling to these other planets.”

Sinbad smiled, listening to the story as he sipped at his drink. The heart monitor beeped in the background as they remained in that room.

“The prince gets stuck on Earth. He gets lot in the desert and he comes across a man who is a pilot. The man and the prince start talking and travelling together, but the prince tells the pilot that he is sad. He left his rose behind on the planet and wants to go back. He ends up trusting a really bad snake to try to help him.”

“Oh…” Ja’far glanced at Sinbad for a moment. He recognized the story now. The boy is bit. “I don’t think Judal’s going to be bit by a snak-“

“You’re interrupting again. That’s not how it ends.”

“It isn’t?”

“Not in my ending,” Aladdin told him. “In the end I made for Judal, the prince realizes what the snake is going to do and tells him no. He goes to the pilot and helps him build his plane. Together, they fly up into space and go back to the prince’s planet and the prince gets to see his rose again.”

Ja’far smiled, “I like that ending.”

“Me too.”

~

Judal looked up at the house, his hand pushing him passed the snake shaped mailbox. His footsteps took him up to the front door before he knocked quietly, waiting.

The door opened, the old man looking down at him. “…Alexander?”

Judal looked up and sighed, “It’s been a while, Ithnan. I need a fake resume.”

 ”Just a resume?”

Judal nodded.

The man scratched at his green haired head, motioning the other in. “You know what my price is.” 

Judal was already taking off his clothes as he walked in. “I remember, old man.”


	42. Chapter 42

Aladdin found himself staying with Ja’far and Sinbad.

The two had a semi-relationship. He wasn’t sure what to call it. Sinbad was rather happy to buy them all a bigger bed, having it installed into the room and having them all sleep together, but Ja’far would get mad when Sinbad would try to kiss him in front of him sometimes.

“Not in front of the child! Geez, Sin.”

Sinbad loved to eat sweets. He would try to get him all excited about eating all the junk food that he would go out and buy. Sometimes he would leave the bag sitting out.

Ja’far liked to listen to a record player, inviting Aladdin to join him a lot. He listened to really old records. He also liked to try to get him to come relax in the hot tub. They would play with pool tools and Aladdin was being taught how to swim.

Being taught…

He didn’t like having to swim.

Each day felt empty. It didn’t feel dark or anything, but he was growing stoic. It felt like day after day was just a motion. It was just a gesture to go into the next day.

Ja’far was trying to make him smile, dragging him to the zoos and other places. Sinbad roared into rooms sometimes, hoisting him up and grinning that he was a monster come to eat him. They would lay together at night and read.

They had gone through all of the Harry Potter books, taking over from where Judal had stopped them.

Day after day was like that. Aladdin found himself looking around whenever they went out. His heart would beat a little faster whenever he saw a long haired woman or hear a voice similar to Judal. Sometimes he would move away from Ja’far and Sinbad while they were out. It was never him though. The women would turn, smiling and laughing. The voice would end up being on television or a young guy.

It wasn’t Judal.

Days turned into weeks, a month went passed. Ja’far encouraged him to dress up for Halloween and they all went trick or treating through a few neighborhoods.

They all knew he missed him.

The bullet wound on his arm healed, fading into a small scar. Solomon wasn’t allowed to see him anymore. The man did come though. It was Thanksgiving dinner that he came. The man stared down at him, apologizing for not being around. Sinbad had tried to push him out, but Aladdin had told him to stop.

This was the man that he had gotten into this mess because of. Due to wanting to see a man he had never truly known or loved, he had wandered to those men…

It wasn’t him that he had wanted.

Solomon had been an ideal. He had been a promise for a better life. Solomon had been someone really interesting and foreign. When all he knew was pain, why wouldn’t he have wanted something different? Aladdin gave him a small hug, but that was it.

This guy was just a stranger to him.

Ja’far was his parent now. Ja’far and Sinbad were the ones to take care of him.

Anise and Ugo joined them for food as well, Kougyoku came a little late with Alibaba at her heels. As she walked in, she apologized. Her brothers were hounding her to return to the corporation, but she didn’t like the new CEO.  

“You wouldn’t believe who they got. She’s just… disgusting.”

Together, they sat down to dinner. Solomon said grace.

Ja’far and Sinbad were good at keeping conversation going. Sinbad was funny, getting rises out of Ja’far and making Solomon roar in laughter. Ja’far would come up with witty responses that would make Sinbad falter. Anise flirted endlessly with the men at the table, running her hands along Solomon’s chest. Solomon was coughing a little, blushing madly before Ugo pulled Anise back.

“Be nice to old men, Anise.”

“I was being nice.” She winked at Solomon. “I just get weak at the heels over a swell guy with charm.”

Solomon was beaming from ear to ear as Kougyoku made a sound of disgust.

“Excuse me,” Aladdin pushed back from the table, getting to his feet and heading towards his room. The others watched him go, but they didn’t say anything. He moved down the hallways, heading to their room and walking into the bedroom.

He waited until dinner had started once more before he moved to the bed.

His polar bear was waiting for him as he climbed onto the bed.

“Hey Judal,” Aladdin greeted as he hugged his bear to his chest. “Ja’far over cooked the turkey again. Sinbad warned him, but he didn’t listen. It was funny to see Ja’far get worried over how it tasted. Sinbad is really hoping to have us all go north to go skiing, but my shoulder doesn’t like the cold. It aches sometimes.”

The soft plush toy sat quietly in his arms as he held it a bit closer.

“Yeah… the others all came to eat with us too. Kougyoku is dating a man whose name sounds like Koko. She’s still an old hag though. She is mostly dating him to make her family happy. She really just wants to stay single. Anise came back too. She’s staying with Kougyoku now. The two of them seem really close. I think you would find it really funny. Sometimes they make little faces at one another, like tonight at dinner. I don’t know what they mean, but I noticed them.”

He hugged the bear a little closer as he continued with a bit of a shaky voice.

“Ugo came to eat with us too. He has been retired since you left. He does a case from time to time, but he’s tired and wants to enjoy the nice side of the world. The two of us went to play golf. It was weird. I don’t know how to keep score, but I think I beat him… Everyone is here… Everyone is really happy…”

The tears started to fall as he laid on the pillows and held onto the bear tighter.

“Everyone is here except you, Judal… Please come back… Please…”

~

“Mr. Alexander Sun,” the hotel man asked.

“Yes, that would be me,” Judal looked at the man as he handed over the room key.

“Enjoy your stay with us, sir.”

“I will do my best to,” Judal replied, heading to the elevator with his bag. He didn’t own much. There were a few articles of clothes, toiletries, documents. It was easier when he was back to his old identity. No one really asked questions when he had money.

The elevator quietly binged as it reached the lobby. He moved into the elevator and waited, listening to the doors close and the smooth jazz play in the thing.

“Floor sir?”

“The thirtieth.”

The man pressed the button and Judal waited, listening to the elevator slowly rise through the floors to his. His reflection in the golden doors was pathetic. Makeup could cover up the main flaws, but he looked like a doll. His clothes were incorrectly buttoned. His hair was in a sloppy attempt of a bun.

“Your floor sir,” the man said as the elevator binged again. Judal walked out as the doors opened, heading towards the hallway and looking around.

His room was at the end of the hall. As he walked into the room, silence greeted him. He threw his bag on the desk and went to the bathroom. Immediately, he was turning on the shower.

“Happy Thanksgiving, you sick fuck,” Judal told his reflection in the mirror.

His reflection just stared back at him with those sunken eyes.

He had stayed with Ithnan for three days before running to the East coast. It hadn’t been able to help him though. Everywhere he looked, there were brats running around. Sometimes he could see a blue braid on some child and he would break.

His body would go into shock again and he was on the ground, cowering.

Every night was filled with new sights. His mind was a sadistic bastard.

Aladdin would stare up at him with lifeless eyes. Sometimes Judal would hear him say he was cold, that it hurt. He would always be shaking. He could hear Aladdin tell him that he loved him. And then the bed being cold around him as he woke up would send him into a sort of attack. He wasn’t sure what to call it. His body would just clench up. His hands would grasp at the sheets. Sometimes he would scream.

He tried to hurt himself, but the pain did nothing.

His body screamed to be returned to Aladdin. He needed him. He had to touch him, to feel him. He had to know that the boy was alright, that he was happy. It felt like he couldn’t move on.

Judal pulled himself back to his bag on the desk and began to unpack.

His copy of The Little Prince went onto the nightstand. His bag of shampoo and all that went on the chair. He would need them soon enough. His hands tightened around the medicine bottle at the bottom of the bag.

Sleeping pills. He needed these.

He downed a handful, swallowing them dry before grabbing his toiletries and heading into the bathroom again. Stripping down into his nothings, he climbed into the shower. The stinging hot water felt nice. It took him away from his state of mental insanity.

His eyes closed as he began to wash his hair.

A tugging came from behind him.

_Aladdin would be behind him, wanting to help him wash his hair. Their bodies would collide together as they would kiss again. He could feel the boy in his arms once more. This was his. This boy was completely his! His lips would engrave that thought into the boy’s mind._

Judal looked over his shoulder to find the shower was empty. He had gotten his hair caught on the pathetic curtain they had for the shower.

He grabbed the hair dye from his bag and began to reapply the stuff to his hair. He was tired of black. He didn’t want to look at it again for a while. Maybe he would go back to the color in time, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. The tub smelled awful as he went through the bleaching process. When he got to the actual color, he found himself plugging his nose and feeling sick.

The sleeping pills were finally started to take effect as he wrapped the now blue hair in some towels and headed back into the bedroom.

Fuck taking care of too much else. He wanted to sleep.

Tomorrow he would go apartment hunting and work the night in the bar that he had gotten a job at.

 With that in mind, Judal fell against the bed and drifted off into a fitful sleep. 


	43. Chapter 43

“Aladdin?” Ja’far gently nudged at the boy, waking him up.

“What’s going on?”

“I thought today could be just for the two of us to spend time together,” Ja’far helped him sit up. “I think we should go outside and have a little fun.”

Aladdin wiped at his face, finding his eyes were still dry from crying the entire night before. He nodded, stretching. “Did the others go home?”

“Solomon and Anise spent the night, but the others went home.” Ja’far helped him get into his clothes. “Is there anywhere special that you want to go this morning, Aladdin? We have the whole day. I don’t recommend the malls since it is the big sales day, but we can wander along the beach-“

“Can we go to the usual café?”

Ja’far smiled a little. Aladdin had told him after several times visiting why the place was so important to him. “Of course… if that’s what you want.”

“Yeah, I would.”

Ja’far nodded, heading to the living room to grab his keys and tell Sinbad they were going out. Sinbad was naked obviously. The man looked up as Ja’far kissed him, trying to get up only to realize the blanket was the only thing keeping him decent.

“Good morning, Ja’ffy.”

“Aladdin and I are going out for a run to the coffee shop. Is there anything you want?”

“I could use a cup of the happiest man alive,” Sinbad grinned more as he kissed Ja’far again. “If you want to have cream on or not is up to you.”

“I’ll grab you a nice mocha while we’re out.”

“I like Ja’lattes a lot.”

“Your puns are worse when you are hungover, Sin.” Ja’far moved away and wrapped an arm around Aladdin. “Come on, Aladdin.”

“Aladdin!” Sinbad waved. “Tell Ja’far to make sure that he charges it on my credit card, okay? He doesn’t need to always spend his money.”

“I think I can take care of my own child,” Ja’far replied before they were out the door. Aladdin smiled slightly, moving over to Ja’far’s car and climbing in. As he buckled himself in, he could see Ja’far checking his emails on his phone, settling himself into the driver’s seat.

Aladdin turned on the radio and listened to the music begin to fill the car.

“You should see this, Aladdin,” Ja’far moved to show him the phone. “I think we should get a cat.”

“I don’t think Alibaba would like to come visit only to find a cat here.” Aladdin shook his head. I think that Alibaba would get jealous.”

“I don’t know. Dogs like kitty cats. I used to have one when I was little. The cat usually slept with me too. I think that was the best part of my childhood.”

“Really? What about family?”

Ja’far shook his head, backing out of the drive and heading towards the café. “I never really had much of a family, Aladdin. They were more of a joke. I ended up getting put in an orphanage and then Sinbad found me while I was hiding from a group for my senior college project. He tried to hit me actually.”

“What?!”

“I had insulted him for lying in the middle of an alley. He and I argued while he was depressed and eventually I talked him into coming to my apartment with me. We spent the entire night together.”

“What did you guys do?”

Ja’far blushed.

“Oh, you had sex.”

Ja’far slammed on the brakes, staring over at him in shock before he resumed driving. “How do you even- nevermind. It’s so strange for you to know about sex, but yes. We had a one night stand that turned into something more.”

“Ja’far…” Aladdin went quiet. “How mad would you be if I said I had had sex before…”

“I wouldn’t.” Ja’far looked over at him as they stopped at another light. “I know that people have probably used you before. It’s something I can’t help but have to accept. I’m quite surprised how well Judal was able to get you to relax. You don’t really strike me as someone who has suffered that way. You’re much calmer… I don’t know…” He shook his head. “I don’t know what to expect, but I would never suspect you to be a trafficked child.”

“Judal had to deal with me like that… needy, I mean.”

Ja’far frowned, “Are you saying that you and Judal…”

“Yeah.”

Ja’far went quiet for a minute, driving them quietly towards the place. “…Tell me more about Judal, Aladdin.”

“Hmm?”

“Was he mean to you? Was he nice?”

“Judal wasn’t always nice, but he wasn’t mean either. He didn’t even want to have sex with me. I… Well, I forced him in the beginning. I went in while he was having a nightmare about his past and I just shoved myself onto him.”

“Onto him?”

“His dick.”

Ja’far’s eyes flew open more, the car wiggling as Ja’far’s hands jolted against the wheel. “You just put him in you?!”

“Yeah, he was really upset, but he stopped being mad when he saw that I was crying. He did a lot of nice things. Even though he’s a bit of a jerk to people. He just likes things his way.”

Ja’far looked over at him and shook his head. “Just don’t let him boss you around like Sinbad does with me, alright?”

“Judal has never been able to boss me around that much.”

“Good,” they were almost there. They could both see the dark brown outside of the building. The sign was flashing with the word open as they turned into the parking lot and climbed out. Ja’far smiled over at him. “I can’t say that I like the fact he did do those things with you, but I can’t really do that much about it.”

“Thanks.”

Ja’far rolled his eyes, opening his door. “Come on, little man. We’ve got a couple cups of coffee and one hot chocolate to get.

“We have to get whip cream on it this time. Last time the lady forgot.”

Ja’far nodded, heading towards the building with Aladdin at his side. They walked into the warm café and Aladdin smiled as he smelled the caramel in the air. There was a blue haired man ordering quietly, taking a card and moving to sit down nearby. Otherwise, the place was pretty empty.

“Good morning,” the café lady greeted. “It’s nice to see you both again.”

“Yes,” Ja’far began to order, but the woman just laughed.

“Going fat free today?”

“I’m trying to get Sinbad on a diet. He never listens.”

“He’s pretty fit though,” the woman told Ja’far.

“You should see the man’s blood work. I swear, if he has too much cholesterol we’re going to be doing a more extreme diet for him than fat free milk in his coffee and fruits.”

He woman laughed, nodding as she wrote on their cups and began to move around. “If you want, you can both sit down. I just opened late so we’re pretty quiet, but I’m still trying to get the machines going.”

“That’s fine. Take your time.”

Aladdin nodded at her words too, moving to sit down at a table nearby. He found himself crossing his arms, resting his head on them as he swung his legs. When he looked towards the other man in the café, he found the other looking away. The person was brushing his hands through his messy blue hair.

“Hmm? What are you looking at Aladdin?” Ja’far looked over at the man and smiled. “Wow, the two of you could be twins just from hair color.”

“I know.” Aladdin nodded.

“So,” Ja’far sat down, holding up a muffin and grinning. “More Judal talk. What was the worst thing he ever did?”

“The worst?” Aladdin took a bit of the muffin and munched on it a minute. “Leaving me.”

“Ah, that would be the worst.” Ja’far nodded. “You want to know the worst thing that Sinbad ever did?”

“Hmm?”

“He left for an entire month. Just vanished completely. Do you know where I found him?”

“Where?”

“A dumpster behind the Sindrian company building. We were small back then, but he was sleeping away in the dumpster. It had turned out that he had been kicked from his building and was trying to find a way to make money on the side to afford his place without asking for a raise.”

“Sin is kinda stupid sometimes.”

“He is,” Ja’far nodded. “Drives me completely up the wall. I wanted a kid before you came along for six months too. I had been pushing him away and seeing all these kids around. I was watching Masrur take care of Morgiana…”

Aladdin could see the other man looking over at him in peripheral vision. He was watching them, but why? Was it something they were saying? Aladdin looked over only to see the man shift his gaze enough to seem like he wasn’t watching him.

Ja’far was busy staring at his food and talking to notice.

There was something familiar about the other man. Aladdin could see it in the way he sat there. He could see something familiar about the way the man sat there and typed.

Who was that guy?

“Alexander?” The woman hurried around the counter, grabbing the mug of coffee and bringing it over to the man. Aladdin felt his eyes widen as he saw the man’s face clearly.

“Thank you,” the man told the woman, looking over at her with bright red eyes. His hands took the cup with shaking hands. He set the mug on the table and resumed looking at something on his computer.

“Aladdin?” Ja’far waved his hand in front of his face. “Aladdin? Are you alright?”

“No,” Aladdin slipped from his seat, moving over to the blue haired man.

The blue hair was the only thing that made him hesitant. The man had the same voice, the same eyes. He held himself in his seat the same way. He sat with his legs crossed under the table. Judal had always done that when he was working on something. He had the same way of biting his lip when he was nervous to.

Aladdin stared at him, afraid to move forward in case he was wrong.

He didn’t want to be wrong though.

“Alexander?”

That was the name he had heard when he had been in all that pain.

The man waved him off. “I don’t need sugar or anything.”

It was the same voice, the same everything except hair. The hair was the same length though. Maybe he had changed the color of it. Aladdin started to move closer when Ja’far moved forward, pulling him back.

“Let’s leave strangers alone, Aladdin. Come talk to me about what you want to do today.”

“Ja’far,” Aladdin looked over at him, shaking his head and pulling himself from the other’s arms.

“Aladdin…”

“Ja’far, I don’t want to do anything else today.” Aladdin looked at the stranger. His voice was growing weak in dread of the other being the wrong person. He had to take the chance though. “I missed you, Alexander. My Judal…”

 


	44. Chapter 44

Morning had been a mess. Judal had woken up from a wet dream only to hit himself in a painful place. That had ended well, with him crying out loudly. He had gone over to the desk and worked on fixing up the makeup under his eyes and on his face.

The sullen looking monstrosity looked like a man after a few minutes.

What he needed was a nice coffee buzz…

That would help him get through this fog of a morning. The nightmares were still bothering him deeply as he moved from the room. His computer bag was grabbed as he left. He yawned as he pushed the button for the elevator, fixing one of his boots into place as the doors opened.

“Good morning, sir.” The elevator man greeted.

“Yeah, ground floor.” Judal leaned back, holding his laptop under his arm.

What a horrible morning it was, he thought to himself as the elevator dropped down lower and lower. He wanted to stay in his room all morning, but he had to get moving. If he kept moving, he would build back up the walls within himself.

Soon he would be the man he used to be.

He set out from the place, waving his hand in the air only for a taxi to come over. “You know the café down on Manchester Avenue?”

“Yeah,” Judal nodded at the guy. “Take me to Toffee Sensations.”

The man nodded, driving quietly. Judal would have to use his phone to get wifi in the place, but that was alright. It was always quiet there. It was a nice little place. He looked out the windows, counting cars as they moved through the morning traffic.

An ad for Disneyland was on a bulletin board as they drove, making Judal close his eyes.

God, he hadn’t even taken the kid there. He had been so full of shit in the end. Why had Aladdin even been interested in him? He wasn’t a good person. He had been pulling away for so long.

Aladdin was with better people now.

“Alright,” the taxi driver called back to him as they pulled to a stop. The café loomed just beside them as Judal climbed out of the vehicle and paid. The building was still the same. Judal walked in and took in the comforting caramel smell.

Yeah, nothing had changed at all. It was still the same place with the same lady waiting. She didn’t recognize him though. She smiled and took his order.

It had been months and he looked a little different with the hair.

The door chimed as another customer walked in with someone. Judal ignored them, moving to sit down. He set his laptop onto the table and began to set up his space for apartment hunting when he heard them speak.

His eyes were wide open as he heard the voice from his dreams and nightmares. He could see the boy’s reflection in his computer screen.

Aladdin was in the building with him.

He had made a foolish mistake in coming to this place. He should have just stayed at the hotel. He should have had the shitty hotel coffee, but no. He had wanted to go out into the world.

He looked over, careful not to make his face visible as he saw the other two sit down. When the boy looked his way, Judal returned to looking at his computer, typing in the username and password.

Just focus, he told himself. As soon as he finished his coffee, he would go to another place to resume his search for a place.

The radio in the damn place was not helping. He could hear ‘The Man Who Can’t Be Moved’ playing in the background.

Damn the popular music around here.

Judal looked back over at Aladdin.

His eyes were rimmed in red. He had been crying? They were talking about him and relationships… Did that mean that the boy missed him?

That was so stupid though. Aladdin should have been moving on. He had his family now. He had everything.

Those eyes looked back over at him again and Judal looked towards the window.

What a nice car, he forced himself to think for a moment before he returned to typing.

“Alexander!”

Damn that barista, Judal thought as he saw the woman come over towards him. He really didn’t want attention drawn to himself. He wanted to drink his coffee and leave. He couldn’t let Aladdin be around him. It would only bring them both more pain.

“Thank you,” he murmured, looking up at her a moment before he took the mug and set it down.

It looked like his internet was working. That was a relief. He began to scroll when he heard one of the two sitting nearby stand up. Please don’t let it be him, Judal prayed silently.

“Alexander.”

The voice saying his real name was like the sound of church bells. He wanted to look. God, did he want to look over at him. He wanted to answer him and say a thousand different things.

He forced his hand to move towards the boy, waving for him to go away. “I don’t need any sugar.”

He needed someone to hold. He needed to turn and take that boy in his arms and make the nightmares go away. The pain of having a person being his comfort object was the agony of not having them there. The thought of a real night of rest was so tempting.

He wouldn’t do that to Aladdin though. He couldn’t. It would mean he would be vulnerable again.

“Let’s leave strangers alone, Aladdin. Come talk to me about what you want to do today,” Ja’far said from behind the boy.

Yes, Ja’far, take him; Judal thought as he heard the other trying to pull Aladdin away. Take him and run away. Go back to Sinbad and Solomon. Take Aladdin to his real family. He would sit here with the pieces of the man he had been before, gluing them back together at his own pace.

“Ja’far…”

Someone save him, but Aladdin’s voice was still the same. He wanted to pull the boy into his arms and break again. He sounded so crushed.

“Aladdin…”

Please, Ja’far. Take the boy and go. Just go. Don’t wait a second longer.

Judal stared at his computer screen, trying desperately to focus, but Aladdin was addressing him again. He paused, eyes widening again as he heard the boy speak.

 “I missed you, Alexander. My Judal…”

Judal looked over at him, seeing the tears threatening to spill in those eyes. He was going to cry right here and now if it wasn’t him. It was impossible to look away from the boy. He was right there, waiting for him to take him into his arms. How long had he been looking? They had been apart for four months.

“I missed you… Judal…”

The barista came over with the coffees, pausing and setting them on a nearby table before resuming her work. Ja’far was staring at him as well. The man was putting it together as well. They all knew who he was now.

Aladdin moved forward more, taking his hand. It felt like the boy’s hands were cold.

“You have me-“

“Don’t you dare say that, you ignorant asshole,” Ja’far hissed.

Aladdin motioned for him to stop, moving forward. He was coming in closer. His hands were holding onto his hand. They felt so nice. He couldn’t breathe as Aladdin as close as he could get. The boy was staring him straight in the eyes.

He wouldn’t dare…

He wasn’t going to kiss him in public. Ja’far would murder him. He would be arrested for kissing a minor. He couldn’t do this. They couldn’t do this.

Yet the boy’s face was coming in closer.

I’m not ready to be broken just yet, he thought to himself as the boy moved in. Judal felt his face burning as Aladdin leaned in closer, his lips pressing against his own.

And he shattered like a falling glass.

His arms wrapped around the boy’s waist. He could feel Aladdin bounce onto his lap. The boy blushed hard, but he was crying. He was crying so hard. Those tears were streaming down his face as he smiled at him. Those arms held onto his shoulders.

“…How’s your shoulder,” Judal asked.

“It doesn’t like the cold, but I don’t care.” Aladdin smiled more, biting his lip a bit. “I would do it again if it meant that you never had to get hurt or die.”

“You’re a fool,” Judal murmured, earning a punch to the gut by the boy.

“You look horrible.”

“Been having trouble sleeping,” Judal explained, feeling Aladdin beginning to kiss him again. Ah, the boy was begging for him to be arrested. Where were the handcuffs, the police? Judal looked over at Ja’far to see the man texting fast.

Well, that was one way to contact the police.

“Guys,” Ja’far looked up and held up his phone. “I would love to let you both keep kissing, but please. I want to have one picture right now.”

Aladdin held onto his jacket and smiled the brightest smile that Judal and Ja’far had ever seen him make. Judal just held the boy close, resting his head against the boy’s.

“Got it,” Ja’far told them. “Did you take a car here, Judal?”

“No, I took-“

“Good. Grab his things, Aladdin.”

Aladdin was grabbing the belongings from the table and grinning as he closed the laptop up and put it back in its bag.

“Hey! Oi!” Judal started to argue, but Aladdin just wrapped the strap to his computer bag around his shoulder and hugged him. “Damn it all… You should be going home. You have a family.”

“It’s been missing the most important person,” Aladdin murmured. “I had to wait so long to see my rose again.”

“…I still have your ending to that story,” Judal said softly, watching Aladdin give off waves of joy. The boy pulled him towards the door, holding it open for him and for Ja’far.

 The three of them headed to Ja’far’s car, but Judal found himself pushed into the back with Aladdin. The boy climbed onto his lap.

“I’m not something you can just take home,” Judal complained.

Aladdin leaned towards the front seat. “Ja’far, can I borrow your wallet?”

“Why?”

“Please?”

Ja’far handed his wallet back before he started the engine and began to drive. Aladdin pulled the dollar bills from the back and held them up. “I don’t know who owns you, but I love you and I want you. It isn’t much, but I promise to make up every dime that isn’t here with as much love and affection as I can manage.”

He was trying to buy him.

Judal stared at the dollars and took them from him, shoving them back in the wallet and tossing the damn thing back up front. Ja’far grumbled, but Judal didn’t hear what he said. His arms were wrapping around Aladdin, pulling him in close and kissing him.

The boy replied readily to his touch, holding onto him. If only he would stop crying! His tears were running rampant, refusing to stop as Judal tried to shush him. His thumbs wiped up tear after tear. “Aladdin,stop crying,” he pleaded. “Stop crying.”

“I can’t. I missed you.”

“Shhhh, you are hardly speaking English anymore. I can’t understand blubbering.”

Aladdin pulled Judal’s hair into his hands and stroked it, leaning against his chest. “Your hair is blue.”

“Yeah.”

“It looks like mine.”

Judal leaned back in and kissed him again, feeling the boy kissing him back harder. His logic was drowned in a sea of emotions, his priorities destroyed once more by the boy.

They parked in front of Sinbad’s home and Judal found the door opened for him. Sinbad looked in on them and smiled.

“Well, well, well… It looks like we found Waldo. Your hair’s blue though.”

“Don’t remind me,” Judal growled, holding the boy in his arms close.

“And surly as ever. I love it. Welcome back, Judal.” Sinbad winked before moving to the driver’s seat, opening the door and leaning in to greet Ja’far. “Coffee?”

“I left yours at the café.”

“Ja’far!”

Ja’far held up the man’s coffee and smiled back at the two in the backseat. “If you remember the house at all, Judal, then know that the room that you both stayed in before is still empty.”

Judal hoisted Aladdin into his arms, feeling Aladdin hold onto him as he moved into the house. He started carrying him back towards that spare room.

“I love you, Judal.” Aladdin held onto him tight. “Don’t ever leave me.”

Judal leaned his face against Aladdin’s, taking in the other’s warmth. “You don’t get to live without me, Chibi.”

“I love you,” Aladdin repeated.

“I love you too, Aladdin… Rhubarb.”

Aladdin huffed, “Alexander.”

They pushed the door to the spare bedroom open and moved inside, closing the door behind them so that the others wouldn’t enter. It clicked quietly behind them. 


	45. Chapter 45

~ Epilogue ~

“Jugemu!” Aladdin waved brightly, his smile brighter than the sun as he ran ahead of him. “Come on, slow poke!”

“I’m coming! Dammit!” Judal groaned as he moved forward, grabbing the turban wearing boy and holding him in his arms. “You know, I don’t enjoy cross-dressing.”

 “You’re such a good Jasmine though!” Aladdin smiled at him as he leaned up and smiled. “I think it suited you more than the other outfits.”

“Oh yeah? You know what’s going to happen when we get back to Sinbad’s place?”

Aladdin rolled his eyes.

“Ja’far! I’m just saying that they could at least get a Sinbad costume in there,” Sinbad followed a dressed up Ja’far out of the store.

“I cannot believe I am doing this right now,” Ja’far murmured. He shook his head, smiling despite the discomfort.

“You know,” Sinbad shook his head. “I find this to be a conspiracy. I have Jasmine, Jafar, and Aladdin. Do they have a Sinbad though? No.” He huffed, wearing the genie outfit.

“That’s okay, Sin. You make such a good Genie,” Aladdin told him, grinning.

“I don’t want to hear a word from you,” Judal hissed. “Do you know how much shit I’m going to get if someone figures out that I’m a guy? I swear, the whole place-“

“I think they could arrest you over worse things,” Ja’far replied. “You look womanly enough that no one will notice.”

Judal was spluttering as Sinbad pulled Ja’far away and waved. “Have fun you two! Jafar and Genie are going to hit the pirates ride and then complaining to someone about the lack of respect for Sinbad the sailor.”

“I swear, Sin, do you even watch Disney movies?” Ja’far huffed as he began to be pulled away. “WE MEET IN TWO HOURS GUYS! RIGHT HERE!”

“Bye bye, Jafar!” Judal waved him off before he felt someone hugging his legs. He looked down only to find a little stranger hugging his legs. “Oh no…”

Aladdin laughed as the mom came by and smiled at them, asking for a picture.

“You’re probably one of the best Jasmines that have been around today,” the woman told him. The little girl squealed happily as Judal tried his best not to act offended.

“Well, she is my princess,” Aladdin told them.

“I’m going to kill you,” Judal growled as the woman laughed and headed away with her child. “I don’t think your Disney Aladdin had his ass raided every night by his pretty Jasmine.”

“Details, details,” Aladdin waved him off before pulling him along. “Come on, my Jasmine. I can show you the world!”

“I don’t want to see it.”

“Come on, Judal. You promised to bring me here for ages, then you run off and I think I’m never going to see you again-“

“If you think that you are going to just guilt trip me…” Judal loomed over the boy. He glared at him, watching the boy smile back up at him a moment before moving. Judal’s braid was grabbed, his face pulled down until Aladdin could steal a kiss. “ALADDIN!”

“Come on, princess! When was the last time you let your heart decide?” the little shit was practically singing the words out as he held his sultan hat to his head. Judal took off after him, ignoring his laughter as he chased him through the park.

The two of them ran around one of the rides, heading towards another area when Aladdin caught sight of Cinderella. He ran behind her and Judal sighed, moving forward as the woman giggled.

“Jasmine, it looks like Aladdin has a little crush on me.”

“No, he’s just trying to keep from getting fucked over.”

“Language,” the woman glared at him, leaning in closer. “We do work with children. Let’s keep it appropriate.”

“Alright,” Judal stared at her, “Aladdin wants to keep his whole new world from ending up being a bed for the next two weeks.”

The woman just handed Aladdin over to him and stormed off.

“Wow, what a bitch.” Judal looked down at Aladdin. “And now that I have you…”

“Please be kind to me and don’t feed me to your tiger.” Aladdin wrapped his arms around him.

“Let’s go on the damn rides already. The sun’s a pain in the ass and I’m dressed like a damn whore.”

“You know, it wouldn’t hurt not to curse so often.”

Judal raised a brow, leaning in close and murmuring into his ear. “You see, I could stop cursing, but then I might have to complain in some other way and I don’t think Ja’far wants to pull me out of jail for streaking through Disneyland.”

Aladdin shook his head, kissing his cheek before pulling the map out of his hat. “I want to ride something slow.”

“No rollercoasters?”

“They scare me,” Aladdin admitted.

“Alright… Let’s see here, Prince Abooboo.” Judal looked at the map a bit more. “We could do the Snow White ride or wander through the castle…”

“Let’s do the Snow White one. I think if Cinderella sees you again, she will call the security guards to take you away.”

“Right,” Judal nodded, heading in that direction. They moved into the line and Aladdin smiled at him. His little butt was wiggling in Judal’s arms as they waited there. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m just noticing something.”

“I swear if it’s about the outfit.”

“You still have a little bit of blue in your hair.”

Judal blinked, pulling his braid in front him to look. “You’re seeing things, brat. I dyed my hair completely black again.”

“Not by the scalp behind your head. There’s a little bit of blue.” Aladdin leaned in, his hand stroking at the back of his neck. The touch made Judal twitch.

“No, Chibi.”

“What?” Aladdin leaned in close, hidden under Judal’s oversized braid. “I’m just looking at the blue hairs. I like them. You should have kept your hair blue.”

Sinbad had been forced to spend four hours dying Judal’s hair back to black with him while Aladdin had recovered from their reunion sexcapade. Aladdin had awakened to Judal and Sinbad being chastised for ruining all of Ja’far’s towels.

And the rest of the day had been a trip to Judal’s hotel to grab his other things and right back into the bedroom. They had spent the entire first week lying in bed together. Ah, but Aladdin hadn’t noticed this. He ran his hands over the blue haired spot on Judal’s neck again, watching him shiver.

“I swear to god, if you make me ruin your Disneyland trip…”

“You have a sensitive neck, princess.”

Judal set Aladdin down so fast that Aladdin wasn’t even sure when his feet started to touch the ground. “I save myself for marriage, little prince.”

“That’s in four years though,” Aladdin complained. “Be reasonable.”

“Two if you get Papa’Far’s permission,” Judal reminded.

“He said I have to wait,” Aladdin complained. “I have to be sure to get good grades too if I want Sinbad to try to work him over.”

“Well then,” Judal smiled at him. “Looks like you are going to enjoy a long engagement.”

Aladdin sulked all the way to the front of the line, climbing into the ride with Judal at his side. Whatever annoyances Judal had with his outfit, they were over and done. He grinned right until the ride was going. His arm wrapped around Aladdin’s shoulders as they moved along.

They both paused at the Snow White figure.

“Judal… Does she creep you out a little?”

“Yeah…” He leaned in close. “I think I’m going to be terrified of the entire ride.”

“Jud-Oh no… No stop…” Aladdin gasped as he felt the other messing with his pants.

“We’ve got ten minutes for this ride,” Judal murmured, leaning down and making Aladdin shove his hat on top of him. His eyes were bugged out in case someone would be looking at him. He squirmed in the seat as Judal moved his mouth over him.

“Hnn…” He covered his mouth, thankful that they were in the last seating in the cart. No one would look back at them if he was careful.

“Is his highness pleased,” Judal purred softly.

Aladdin screamed as something jumped out at them, clinging to Judal as the man laughed. The others looked back as Judal sat up.

“Prince Aladdin is scared of crows,” he told the others, getting eye rolls as Aladdin twitched in the seat. Aladdin’s head moved to rest against Judal as they got to the end of the ride.

“I hope you know that was mean,” Aladdin hissed as they climbed out.

“What’s that smell,” one of the next riders asked as they climbed into the booth.

“Oh Aladdin…” Judal pulled the boy along a little faster.

“Hey! There’s our couple!” Sinbad waved at them as he and Ja’far got off a nearby ride. Ja’far leaned against Judal.

“He’s insane,” Ja’far complained.

“What rides have you two done?” Sinbad smiled.

“We’ve been apart for a total of five minutes,” Judal crossed his arms, ignoring the man leaning against him. “We only rode the Snow White ride.”

“Judal sucked while we rode though.”

Sinbad and Ja’far stared at Judal as the man shrugged. “It was terrifying. I just found something to distract myself with.”

“Come on, Aladdin.” Ja’far wrapped an arm around him. “We’re going to travel around together from now on while those two go be idiots together.”

“You really sucked him,” Sinbad asked. “Is it a long ride or…”

“Not as long as you would like. You need to do foreplay in the line-“

“We are not talking about this!” Ja’far glared at the two. “I would like to have a rated G kind of day, guys.”

The two waved him off, talking a little more before Ja’far spun around and stared them down.

“Alright guys. You both like the master bedroom.”

They nodded.

Ja’far smiled. “Whoever behaves the best today, gets the master bedroom this even with its big bed and their lover completely open to anything.”

“You think that you are going to get Sinbad and I to fight?” Judal laughed for a moment before Sinbad pulled Ja’far and Aladdin towards the New Orleans style café.

“Come on, you guys. Let’s go get something to eat!”

“You traitor!” Judal glared at the other as they headed towards the café.

The two rushed around one another towards the lines as Ja’far shook his head. The man leaned down and whispered to him quietly, “Should we tell them that Alibaba peed on the bed?”

“Nah,” Aladdin smiled. “They’ll figure it out later.”

Judal and Sinbad stood bickering over paying for food as they watched, finally splitting the bill down the middle. By that time, the food was already prepared and brought to them. They headed to a nice patio spot to eat, enjoying a view of the park as they began to eat.

It was strange, their little family. Aladdin looked around at the three of them and smiled a little, sipping at his drink.

Sinbad was shoving French fries into Ja’far’s mouth, telling him to try them. Judal was bickering at the man over kicking him in the food line.

Aladdin looked around once more before pulling Judal by his braid. Their lips pressed against one another’s again softly before Judal rolled his eyes at him.

“Troublemaker.”

“You’re fun to be a troublemaker with.” Aladdin told him. “I like kissing my lady Judal.”

“I would hate to break it to you, Aladdin, but I don’t have breasts.”

“That’s fixable,” Sinbad told him, making Ja’far cover his mouth to hide his amusement.

“Shut up, Sinbad.”

The man shrugged, looking over to watch Ja’far trying to hard not to laugh. “Don’t you think Judal would be such a pretty girl, Ja’far?”

“Don’t… Don’t bring me into this…”

“Thank you, Ja’far.” Judal smiled at him. “At least someone can behave.”

“Judal is already mistaken for a girl though,” Ja’far added, making Judal cringe.

“I hate you guys.”

Aladdin smiled, leaning against Judal a bit more. “I love you,” he told the man.

Judal looked down at him and smirked, “Yeah, love you too, brat. Don’t let these two put any ideas in your head though.”

Yeah, he had the best family. He couldn’t ask for anything better.


End file.
